P-Block Elements

Group IV A The Carbon Family

Elements of Group IV A
Carbon Silicon Germanium Tin Lead C Si Ge Sn Pb

The elements in this group range from a non-metal, carbon to the metals tin and lead, with the intervening element germanium showing semi metallic behavior. Germanium was a missing element in Mendeleevs periodic table. He named this element as ekasilicon and predicted its properties that later matched with those of germanium. Silicon is the second most abundant element in the earths crust; tools made of flint (a form of SiO2) were used in the Stone Age. Tin and lead have also been known since ancient times All the elements have an outer electronic configuration of ns2 np2

Carbon
Carbon is the base of all life and the element with the most complex chemistry, which is called organic chemistry. Coal, which consists mostly of carbon, is known and used since prehistoric time. The massive combustion of coal and oil, which is carbon based, causes enormous harm to the life on our planet. This is because, amongst others, a lot of carbon dioxide, CO2, is emitted. Graphite, which is very soft, is the most common carbon allotrope. Another one is diamond, famous for its value and hardness. Fullerenes are further allotropes, which were discovered in 1985. They could have many different applications in the future. Compounds of carbon and another, more electropositive element are called carbides, like silicon carbide and tungsten carbide.

Diamond

Silicon Carbide

Graphite

Carbon Nanotube

Silicon

The metalloid silicon is a very abundant element. Much of the earth's crust is made out of silicates and silica (SiO2). The latter is the chief ingredient of quartz and sand and is used as raw material for glass since ages. Elemental silicon is an important industrial material, where it is used in huge amounts for semiconductors, computer chips, in electronics, for solar energy and photovoltaics.

Ultra pure Silicon

Germanium is a shiny silvery metalloid and a semiconductor. The latter makes it an important
material in electronics and solar technology. Germanium is corrosion-resistant, very brittle and slightly toxic, it doesn't have biological functions.

Tin is a very common metal. It is soft and has a low melting point, which makes it a very
good workable material, that is used since ancient times. Bronze is usually an alloy of copper and tin. The common -tin can transform into powdery -tin at low temperatures (below 13C, 56F). This is known as tin pest, which destroys the affected item.

Lead is known since ancient times and was widely used then. This often caused big
sanitary problems, because its compounds are quite toxic. 208Pb is the last stable isotope in the periodic table and the end of the thorium decay chain. Therefore lead is quite abundant for an element with such a high number. Lead is a grey, very heavy and soft metal with a low melting point. Amongst others, it is used for weights and for radiation protection. Lead forms in air quickly a protecting oxide layer, which makes it dark.

A piece of lead, cut through, is silvery for a short time, before the surface oxidizes.

Carbon

Overview of Chemical properties of Group IV A

HCOOH + conc. H2SO4

CO + H2O

Organometallic compounds
Organo silicon compounds Organo germanium Organo tin Organo lead

GROUP ASIGNMENT

GENERAL INTRODUCTION BONDING SITUATION METHODS OF SYNTHESIS LITERATURE (from 2000-2013) NO PLAGIARISM ACS REFEREMCE WRITING STYLE TYPED AND PRINTED

Submitted within time

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silicones

H3C H3C Si O

O Si O Si

CH3 CH3

H3C

CH3

repellents, i.e., not wetted by water.

Stable towards heat and chemical reagents. Non toxic and inert and have medical applications. Non volatile on heating. Used for making water proof cloth Used as insulating materials for electrical appliances. Mixed in paint and enamels to make them water proof.

Structural Variety, key to modulating the process

Silicates
Salts of silicic acids are called silicates Soluble silicates such as Na or K silicates are known as soluble glass Three stable silicic acids are known to exist: 1. 2. 3. meta silicic acid H2SiO3 (SiO2.H2O) ortho silicic acid H4SiO4 (SiO2.2H2O) Pyrosilicic or disilicic acid H6Si2O7

Salts of these acids are known

Dehydration of these compounds leads to formation of SiO2 (silica) Silica with 5% water content is called silica gel, it has a spongy structure and is used as a dehydrating agent and can absorb water, reheating it can restore the original structure which can be used again.

Soluble Metal Silicates

String bases react very slowly with silica to form various soluble metal silictaes. SiO2 + 2NaOH SiO2 + 4NaOH 2SiO2 + 6NaOH Na2SiO3 + H2O Na4SiO4 + 2H2O Na6Si2O7 + 3H2O

Natural Silicates comprise a large

variety of compounds, structures of which are based on SiO4 tetrahedra with metal atoms occupying spaces in between the tetrahedra.

The SiO4 tetrahedra are joined together in different manner to give different structures of silicates Silicates are extremely stable structures due to vacant d orbitals on Si which can accept electron density from oxygen

Structures of Silicates

4
1. Orthosilicates
SiO4 repeating units
e.g., Mg2SiO4 Olivine a mineral

Si O O
-

ZrSiO4 Zircon
Be2SiO4 phenacite

Pyrosilicates or Disilicates
Two SiO4 units are joined together Repeating unit is Si2O76e.g., Se2Si2O7

PbSi2O7
Zn4(OH)2Si2O7

Cyclosilictaes
Discrete units made up of 3 or 6 tetrahedra in a ring.

i.e.,

Si3O96Si6O1812-

Examples include: BaTiSi3O9 Ca3Si3O9

O O Si O

O Si O Si O O

O O
O O O O
Si6O1812-

O Si

O Si O Si O O O O O

Si3O96-

Si O Si O

Si O

Metasilicates Infinite Chain Atoms

Silicates in which tetrahedra are linked together in long chains or strings If single chained. They are called Pyroxenes Of double stranded then they are called Amphiboles

O Si O O

O Si O

O Si O O

O Si O

O Si O O

O Si O O

SiO32- Pyroxenes

Ambhiboles contain (Si4O11-6)n anions and is and have double chains with cross
linking Various asbestos minerals are of this type, their fibrous nature is a result of one dimensional anion structure and can be cleaved in direction parallel to the chains O O O
O Si O O Si O O O O Si O O Si O O O Si O Si O O O Si O O Si O O

Si O O Si O O O O

Si O O O Si O n O

Si O O O Si O O

Si O O O Si O O

Phyllosilicates are silicates with anions as sheets, (Si2O5)n2-. Individual sheets are held
together by metal cations which lie in between them. These are found in talc. Clays and O O O mica O
Si O O Si O O O O Si O O Si O O O Si O Si O O O Si O O Si O O

Si O O Si O Si O O Si O O O O O O

Si O O O Si O Si O Si O O O O O

Si O O O Si O O

Si O O O Si O Si O O Si O O O O O

Si O Si O O

Si O O Si O O O O

Si O O O Si O O

Si O O O Si O O

Si O O O Si O O

Phyllosilicate mineral, Chrysocolla

Olivine

Garnet Uvarovite

Green Thorite, from Zircon family, a silicate mineral

Structure of Zircon

Quartz SiO2

Kyanite - Al2SiO5

SiO2 based Mineral

Applications of silicates
Used in glass industry Ceramic industry Cement industry Clays (used for making bricks etc.) and silica gel are examples of silicate structure Clays are classified as porcelain and china clay according to composition