Lithium intercalation in tin oxide

Tetragonal SnO compound was studied as the active electrode material in ‘Lithium-ionʹ-type cell. Structural and 119Sn Mössbauer properties of SnO are presented. The results concerning X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and 119Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy of lithiated crystallised tin oxide SnO between 0 and 2 lithium inserted per formula were reported. During the lithium insertion a reduction of SnO in β-Sn and in an inter-metallic tin in strong interaction with the structural SnO (SnO→β-Sn and SnO→Sn(0)) is observed. When the cell is recharged, the mechanism is in part reversible with the reformation of the SnO but there is also the formation of Sn(IV) (Sn(0)→Sn(II)→Sn(IV)).