title: Stable five- and six-coordinated silicate anions in aqueous solution.
abstract: Addition of aliphatic polyols to aqueous silicate solutions is shown to yield high concentrations of stable polyolate complexes containing five- or six-coordinated silicon. Coordinating polyols require at least four hydroxy groups, two of which must be in threo configuration, and coordinate to silicon via hydroxy oxygens at chain positions on either side of the threo pair. The remarkable ease by which these simple sugar-like molecules react to form hypervalent silicon complexes in aqueous solution supports a long-standing supposition that such species play a significant role in the biological uptake and transport of silicon and in mineral diagenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada P7B 5E1. Stephen.Kinrade@lakeheadu.ca
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Kinrade
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Del Nin
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Schach
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Sloan
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Knight
mesh_terms: D000838:Anions / Q000737:chemistry; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D015394:Molecular Structure; D017640:Silicates / Q000737:chemistry*; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry*; D012996:Solutions; D013402:Sugar Alcohols / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D000838:Anions; D017640:Silicates; D012996:Solutions; D013402:Sugar Alcohols; D014867:Water; C005691:sodium silicate; D012825:Silicon