Abstract

A new ternary Na–Sn–O compound, Na₄Sn₃O₈, has been synthesized from a mixture of Na₂CO₃ and SnO₂ by heating at 1270–1400 °C for 6–24 h in air using a powder bed. The crystal structure of Na₄Sn₃O₈ has been refined by the Rietveld analysis of the powder X-ray diffraction data. Na₄Sn₃O₈ crystallizes in the cubic system (a = 9.1815(2) Å, Z = 4) with the space group of either P4₃32 or P4₁32. The unit cell contains twelve SnO₆ and four NaO₆ octahedra connecting by edge-sharing and additionally twelve sodium atoms distributed in octahedral holes.