The Diverse World of Silicon Chemistry

摘要

Besides carbon, the only other element that reveals a similarly rich chemistry is silicon, spanning classical main-group to organometallic to materials chemistry, biochemistry and biotechnology, as well as theoretical chemistry. Although both elements have many properties in common, silicon often reveals a remarkably different reactivity compared to carbon. The extraordinary properties of silicon and the large variety of products that can be prepared given its similarity to carbon make it not only a prominent element in academic research but also in industry, where its value has been recognized, for example, in polymers and as a semiconductor material.