orthosilicic

Orthosilicic refers to orthosilicic acid, the neutral, hydrated form of silica with the formula H4SiO4. It is the simplest monomeric unit in silica chemistry and the predominant dissolved silicon species in many natural waters at neutral to mildly acidic pH.

In aqueous solution, orthosilicic acid exists as a tetrahedral silicon center bonded to four hydroxyl groups. It is a weak acid and slowly loses protons with increasing pH, first to form H3SiO4− and then H2SiO4^2− at higher pH. Under conditions of higher concentration or higher pH, orthosilicic acid tends to polymerize, forming disilicic and higher-order silicate species and eventually condensed silica networks. The tendency to polymerize means that the apparent concentration of truly dissolved orthosilicic acid is pH- and concentration-dependent.

Biological and ecological significance is substantial. Many organisms that build silica structures rely on orthosilicic acid as their silica source. Diatoms, certain sponges, and other siliceous organisms uptake orthosilicic acid from water and polymerize it into hydrated silica for cell walls and skeletons. In plants, silicic acid is transported and stored as orthosilicic acid, contributing to tissue silica content and sometimes influencing stiffness and stress responses. The availability of orthosilicic acid in soils and waters can control silica deposition in ecosystems.

In chemistry and environmental science, orthosilicic acid is often used as the reference form of dissolved silica. It is not a strong acid, and its behavior shifts toward polymerization with pH increases or concentration changes, governing the formation of silicate polymers and silica minerals.