Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 8, 2026

Tin(IV) sulfide

Tin(IV) sulfide is a compound with the formula SnS2. A brown, water-insoluble solid, it is a semiconductor with band gap 2.2 eV. It occurs naturally as the rare mineral berndtite.

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Tin(IV) sulfide
Sn4+(S2−)2
Names
IUPAC name
Tin(IV) sulfide
Other names
Tin disulfide, Stannic sulfide, Mosaic gold
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChEBI
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.013.867
EC Number
  • 215-252-9
UNII
  • InChI=1S/2S.Sn/q2*-2;+4 ☒N[inchi]
    Key: TUTLDIXHQPSHHQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N ☒N[inchi]
  • [S-2].[S-2].[Sn+4]
  • (S=Sn=S): S=[Sn]=S
Properties
S2Sn
Molar mass 182.83 g·mol−1
Appearance Gold-yellow powder
Odor Odorless
Density 4.5 g/cm31
Melting point 600 °C (1,112 °F; 873 K)
decomposes1
Insoluble
Solubility Soluble in aq. alkalis, decompose in aqua regia1
Insoluble in alkyl acetates, acetone2
Structure
Rhombohedral, hP33
P3m1, No. 1643
3 2/m3
a = 3.65 Å, c = 5.88 Å3
α = 90°, β = 90°, γ = 120°
Octahedral (Sn4+)3
Hazards
GHS labelling:
GHS07: Exclamation mark4
Warning
H302, H312, H315, H319, H332, H3354
P261, P280, P301+P312, P302+P352, P304+P340, P305+P351+P338, P332+P3134
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)
4
NFPA 704 four-colored diamondHealth 1: Exposure would cause irritation but only minor residual injury. E.g. turpentineFlammability 0: Will not burn. E.g. waterInstability 0: Normally stable, even under fire exposure conditions, and is not reactive with water. E.g. liquid nitrogenSpecial hazards (white): no code
source ↗
1
0
0
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
☒N verify (what is checkY☒N ?)

Tin(IV) sulfide is a compound with the formula SnS2. A brown, water-insoluble solid, it is a semiconductor with band gap 2.2 eV.5 It occurs naturally as the rare mineral berndtite.6

Synthesis and structure

Fragment of the SnS2 lattice. Color code: yellow = S, gray = Sn. source ↗

The compound precipitates as a brown solid upon the addition of H2S to solutions containing tin(IV) species. This reaction is reversed at low pH. It can also be prepared by heating finely ground Sn with excess sulfur.7

The compound crystallizes in the cadmium iodide motif, with the Sn(IV) situated in "octahedral holes' defined by six sulfide centers.8

The material reacts with sulfide salts to give a series of thiostannates with the formula [SnS
2]
m[S]2n−
n.9 A simplified equation for this depolymerization reaction is:

SnS2 + S2− → ⁠1/x⁠[SnS32−]x

Potential uses

Crystalline SnS2 has a bronze color and is used in decorative coating10 where it is known as mosaic gold.

Tin (IV) sulfide has various uses in electrochemistry. It serves as an anode in prototypes of lithium-ion batteries.11 Intercalation with organometallic reagents is reversible.12

It has also been evaluated as a component of supercapacitors, which could be used for energy storage.13

See also

See also

References

References

  1. Lide, David R., ed. (2009). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (90th ed.). Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. ISBN 978-1-4200-9084-0.
  2. Comey, Arthur Messinger; Hahn, Dorothy A. (February 1921). A Dictionary of Chemical Solubilities: Inorganic (2nd ed.). New York: The MacMillan Company. p. 1080.
  3. Voort, G.F. Vander, ed. (2004). "Crystal Structure*". Metallography and Microstructures. Vol. 9. pp. 29–43. doi:10.31399/asm.hb.v09.a0003722. ISBN 978-1-62708-177-1.
  4. "SDS of Stannic sulfide" (PDF). pfaltzandbauer.com. Connecticut, USA: Pfaltz & Bauer, Inc. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
  5. Burton, Lee A.; Whittles, Thomas J.; Hesp, David; Linhart, Wojciech M.; Skelton, Jonathan M.; Hou, Bo; Webster, Richard F.; O'Dowd, Graeme; Reece, Christian; Cherns, David; Fermin, David J.; Veal, Tim D.; Dhanak, Vin R.; Walsh, Aron (2016). "Electronic and Optical Properties of Single Crystal SnS2: An Earth-Abundant Disulfide Photocatalyst". Journal of Materials Chemistry A. 4 (4): 1312–1318. doi:10.1039/C5TA08214E. hdl:1983/fb4a478e-aa5e-4f09-abe3-dce1343f709d.
  6. Vaughan, D. J.; Craig, J. R. "Mineral Chemistry of Metal Sulfides" Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 1978. ISBN 0-521-21489-0.
  7. P. Baudler (1963). "Tin (IVj Sulfide". In G. Brauer (ed.). Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry, 2nd Ed. Vol. 2. NY, NY: Academic Press. p. 741.
  8. Wells, A.F. (1984) Structural Inorganic Chemistry, Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN 0-19-855370-6.
  9. P. Baudler (1963). "Sodium Metathiostannate". In G. Brauer (ed.). Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry, 2nd Ed. Vol. 2. NY, NY: Academic Press. p. 742.
  10. Holleman, A. F.; Wiberg, E. "Inorganic Chemistry" Academic Press: San Diego, 2001. ISBN 0-12-352651-5.
  11. Cupid, D. M.; Rezqita, A.; Glibo, A.; Artner, M.; Bauer, V.; Hamid, R.; Jahn, M.; Flandorfer, H. (2021). "Understanding and Modelling the Thermodynamics and Electrochemistry of Lithiation of Tin(IV) Sulfide as an Anode Active Material for Lithium Ion Batteries". Electrochim. Acta. 375 137936. doi:10.1016/j.electacta.2021.137936.
  12. O'Hare, D. (1992). "Structure, dynamics, and electronic properties of cobaltocene in SnS2–xSex{0⩽x⩽2}". Chem. Soc. Rev. 21 (2): 121–126. doi:10.1039/CS9922100121.
  13. Setayeshmehr, M.; Haghighi, M.; Mirabbaszadeh, K. (2021). "A Review of Tin Disulfide (SnS2) Composite Electrode Materials for Supercapacitors". Energy Storage. 4.
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