Disilicic

Disilicic refers to a chemical state or compound that contains two silicon atoms. This term is often encountered in the context of silicon chemistry, particularly in the formation of silicates and polysilicon species. For instance, the disilicate ion, Si2O5^2-, is a fundamental unit in certain silicate minerals and glasses. In this ion, two silicon atoms are linked by one oxygen atom, with each silicon atom also bonded to two other oxygen atoms. This arrangement results in a chain-like or ring-like structure depending on the specific silicate.

The disilicide structure is also relevant in metallurgy and materials science, referring to compounds with the stoichiometry MSi2, where M is a metal. These disilicides can exhibit unique electrical, magnetic, and catalytic properties. Examples include titanium disilicide (TiSi2) and cobalt disilicide (CoSi2), which are used in semiconductor fabrication as contact materials due to their low resistivity. The specific arrangement of silicon and metal atoms in these disilicides dictates their macroscopic properties. The term disilicic thus broadly encompasses a range of chemical entities characterized by the presence of two silicon atoms within their structure.