Sn6SiO8, a Tin(II) Silicate with a Zinc Blende Related Structure and High Thermal Stability.

The crystal structure of a novel cubic tin(II) silicate, Sn6SiO8 (space group F4̅3m, a = 10.40708(2) Å, and Z = 4), synthesized by microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis has been solved by Rietveld refinement of the powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) data. The structure, analogous to zinc blende, comprises a face-centered-cubic array of [Sn6O8]4- anions, with Si4+ occupying half of the tetrahedral holes. The tin(II) silicate has been further characterized by variable-temperature PXRD, demonstrating stability of the structure and resistance to SnII oxidation up to ∼600 °C, when the compound begins to thermally decompose.