Silicic acid

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In chemistry, a silicic acid () is any chemical compound containing the element silicon attached to oxide (=O) and hydroxyl (−OH) groups, with the general formula [H2xSiOx+2]n or, equivalently, [SiOx(OH)4−2x]n. Orthosilicic acid is a representative example. Silicic acids are not observed in isolation, but are thought to exist in aqueous solutions, including seawater, and play a role in biomineralization. They are typically colorless weak acids that are sparingly soluble in water. Depending on the number of silicon atoms present, there are mono- and polysilicic (di-, tri-, tetrasilicic, etc.) acids. Like the silicate anions, which are their better known conjugate bases, silicic acids are proposed to be oligomeric or polymeric. Monomeric silicic acids are primarily of theoretical interest, since they have never been identified in a well-defined form characterized by X-ray crystallography.

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