CHEMICAL AND ELECTROCHEMICAL LITHIUM INTERCALATION AND STAGING IN 2H-SNS2

Chemical intercalation in 2H-SnS2 was carried out by using n-butyl-lithium. Samples with an LixSnS2 (x < 2) stoichiometry were prepared by this procedure which is isostructural with 2H-SnS2 and show small changes in the unit cell parameters. Lithium ions in the interlayer space can be readily solvated by water and alkyl-amines and de-intercalated with I2/acetonitrile solutions. Electrochemical Li-intercalation was carried out in test cells by using 2H-SnS2 as cathode. The discharge curves show two apparent plateaus at x < 0.6. For these compositions, a new phase with ca. 18 angstrom basal spacing was identified as partially chemically or electrochemically intercalated stage III. In this phase, lithium insertion leads to a significantly increased interlayer dimension, which may be indicative of a change in the stacking sequence of the SnS2 layers not found in stage I.