Infrared spectra of edge-shared silicate tetrahedra

Dehydroxylated silica exhibits two well-defined infrared bands at 888 and 907 cm −1 previously assigned to a highly reactive strained surface defect. Comparisons of the spectra of dehydroxylated silica to frequencies and intensities calculated using molecular orbital (MO) calculations and to spectra obtained for cyclodisiloxanes suggest that the strained surface defect consists of an edge-shared silicate tetrahedral ring. Changes in vibrational frequencies and peak intensities with 18O labeling for both the surface defect and the cyclodisiloxanes are consistent with those expected for ring vibrational modes. The IR bands associated with the strained edge-shared ring disappear when either the surface defects or the cyclodisiloxanes react with water. Reactions of the surface defect can be used to study how strain enhances the reactivity of Si-O-Si bonds for modeling phenomena such as stress corrosion cracking.