Silicate species in solution. Part 2. The structure of polymeric species

Abstract

The following rules are formulated concerning the structure of polymeric species in solution: (1) connectivity is maximised consistent with a lower ring size of four tetrahedra (except possibly in trimeric species); (2) all tetrahedra in a given species show as nearly as possible the same degree of connectivity. Both these rules are consistent with the idea that the lability of silicate groups in solution decreases with increasing connectivity.