A study of the bonding in some five- and six-co-ordinate compounds of silicon based on Si Kβ1,3X-ray emission spectra

Abstract

The silicon Kβ_1,3X-ray emission spectra of a series of β-diketone and catechol complexes of silicon have been measured. The results are compared with the corresponding X-ray emission spectra from silicon and silica and are interpreted using a simple molecular orbital model. With unsaturated ligands the main, Kβ_1,3 peak is split into two, showing the presence of both σ- and π-character in the Si–ligand bond. Neither the overall charge of the complex nor the co-ordination number of the silicon had any discernible effect upon the spectra.