Bonding in silicon?

1 Answer
Jacob T.
Mar 29, 2018

Each silicon atom form #"Si"-"Si"# single bonds with four other atoms.

Explanation:

As a group #14# element, each silicon atom has four valence electrons. In elementary silicon, each #"Si"# atom undergoes #sp^3# hybridization and form #"Si"-"Si"# single bonds with four other atoms, giving rise to a tetrahedral structure. [1]

Similar to diamond (an allotrope of elementary carbon,) this structure repeats infinitely in space connecting every single silicon atom in the crystal, creating a macroscopic covalent network. [2] This structure accounts for the strength and the high melting and boiling points of silicon under standard conditions. The bonding allows for no free-moving electrons making the crystal an insulator (or semiconductor.)

References
[1] What type of bonding occurs in isolated silicon? Chemical Stack Exchange,
https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/28905/what-type-of-bonding-occurs-in-isolated-silicon

[2] Silicon, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon#Physical_and_atomic

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