The Chemical Compound SiS2

Formation

• Silicon sulfide is an inorganic compound, meaning that it is of a mineral and not a biological origin. Organic compounds, those typically formed organically, contain carbon bonds. Silicon sulfide is actually polymeric, part of a larger structure of repeated units. In most cases silicon sulfide is formed synthetically by heating silicon and sulfur atoms enough for them to join. The compound is a solid, with a melting point of 1,090 degrees Celsius.

Weight

• With one silicon atom and two sulfur atoms the compound silicon sulfide has a total molecular weight of 92.2155 g/mol (grams per mole). This comes from the silicon atom's weight of 28.0855 g/mol and the sulfur atoms at 32.065 g/mol each.

Uses and Availability

• As silicon sulfide is moderately soluble in both water and acid, the compound is used as a source for silicon when combined with other sulfate compounds. In use the silicon sulfide typically joins to other silicon compounds and solidifies the bonds between the other compounds to form polymers, large macromolecular compounds of repeating structures. Ninety-nine-percent silicon sulfide is used and sold as an industrial chemical as soluble silicon resource and as an additive to form these silicon polymers. As an inorganic compound made specifically for industrial uses, the chemical itself is manufactured by suppliers in the United States, China, Germany, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

Structure

• Silicon sulfide has a one-dimensional chemical structure with 180-degree bond structure, meaning the atoms in the compound are arranged along a single linear axis. This is in contrast to many chemical compounds, which align in a two-dimensional structure. The linear structure is caused by each sulfur atom's having two free electrons which repel each other to the opposite end of the compound. The free electrons give the compound a strong negative charge, making it good for bonding with positively charged molecules, which need these shared electrons for balance.