PNNL

Abstract

Bond critical point, local kinetic energy density, G(rc), and local potential energy density, V(rc), properties of the electron density distributions, ?(r), calculated for silicates like quartz and molecules like disiloxane are similar, indicating that the forces that govern the Si-O bonded interactions in crystals are short-ranged and molecular-like. Using the G(rc)/?(rc) ratio as a measure of bond character, the ratio increases as the Si-O bond length, the local electronic energy density, H(rc) = G(rc) + V(rc), and the oordination number of the Si atom decrease, and as the value of the electron density at the bond critical point, ?(rc) and the Laplacian, ?2?(rc), increase. The G(rc)/?(rc) and H(rc)/?(rc) ratios categorize the bond as observed for other second row atom M-O bonds into nonequivalent classes with the covalent character of each of the M-O bonds increasing with the H(rc)/?(rc) ratio. Some workers consider the Si-O bond to be highly ionic and others considered it to be either intermediate or substantially covalent. The character of the bond is examined in terms of the large net atomic basin charges conferred on the Si atoms comprising disiloxane, stishovite, quartz and forsterite, the domains of localized electron density along the Si-O bond vectors and on the reflex side of the Si-O-Si angle together with the close similarity of the Si-O bonded interactions observed for a variety of hydroxyacid silicate molecules and a large number of silicate crystals. The bond critical point and local energy density properties of the electron density distribution indicate that the bond is intermediate in character between Al-O and P-O bonded interations rather than being ionic or covalent.