Electrochemical preparation of stannic chloride

Evans and Lewis (1957) have described an ingenious method of preparing SnCl electrochemically in a high vacuum system from SnCl which, being crystalline at ambient temperature, is easier to purify than the tetrachloride. The apparatus is shown in Fig. 5.5. 

Anhydrous AnalaR stannous chloride was distilled from A into the electrolytic cell, C, under a high vacuum after the whole apparatus had been baked out. Vessel A was sealed off at X, the stannous chloride fused by the heater H, and a 12 V DC potential applied across the terminals Jj and T Tj led to a gas-carbon rod serving as anode, to a Pt wire cathode. Bubbles of stannic chloride vapour rose from the anode. The first runnings were pumped out and then the system was sealed off at Y. Electrolysis was continued until sufficient stannic chloride had been condensed in the sample holder, S, which was removed from the system by being sealed off at Z. 

---