Oxides of tin (SnxOy) are found in many of modern technologies due to their versatile nature. The multivalent oxidation states of tin—Sn2+ and Sn4+—impart tin oxides with electroconductivity, photocatalysis, and various functional properties. For the photocatalysis application of tin oxides, a narrow bandgap for visible-light absorption is indispensable to utilize a wide range of solar energy. Hence, the discovery of new SnxOy could help improve the efficiency of many environmentally significant photocatalytic reactions like water splitting and CO2 reduction. While there are many theoretical and computational predictions of new stable SnxOy, there still remains a need for experimental studies that can turn the predictions into reality.
Click here for original story, Discovering the unexplored: Synthesis and analysis of a new orthorhombic Sn3O4 polymorph
Source: Phys.org