Is this molecule possible?

[JMBuilder]

I had an interesting idea, but I don't know if it's chemically possible. Here's a rough sketch (best I could manage).

..........OH.............

...........I...............

...OH - Si - OH.......

...........I...............

..........OH.............

Silicon Tetrahydroxide, or Si(OH)4. If possible, I know it would probably be a pain to synthesize.

[Kryten]

That's orthosilicic acid. Pretty easy to synthesise although difficult to purify, and forms naturally quite frequently (you just need to combine quartz and water). Only stable in solution and at low concentrations, otherwise it'll polymerise.

[JMBuilder]

Is this substance flammable?

[Kryten]

If you gather a large enough concentration for that to be a meaningful concept, it'll cease to be 'this substance'. The resulting polymer is not flammable.

[JMBuilder]

Pewp... So much for my fossil fuel alternative idea...

[Coldfinger008]

XD, don´t be sad.

I had an idea involving that structure with titanium to basically make titaniumcarbide...

As it turns out my great idea is a sort of gryish slush used to make catalysts.

[Ralathon]

Why would you think this stuff would make a good fossil fuel replacement? It already contains loads of oxygen, so you can't oxidise it. Not to mention that the reason we use fossil fuels is because they provide energy, we'd first have to synthesize this stuff, which costs at least as much energy as you can get out of it.

If you want a synthesized fuel to replace fossil fuels for transportation purposes or something you should look into either hydrogen or straight up electric cars.

Oh, and you probably don't want your fuel to contain silicium, since silicium dioxide is a solid substance and thus rather hard to get rid off.

[Camacha]

Why would you think this stuff would make a good fossil fuel replacement? It already contains loads of oxygen, so you can't oxidise it. Not to mention that the reason we use fossil fuels is because they provide energy, we'd first have to synthesize this stuff, which costs at least as much energy as you can get out of it.

That's not a problem. If you can synthesize a decent fossil fuel replacement, you can still use the existing infrastructure, but use newer and cleaner energy types to produce it, say wind, water, fission and/or fusion and hydroelectric. I am not sure this one would fit the bill though.

If you synthesize petrol and then burn it, none of the traditional drawbacks would really still be an issue - as long as you have something that resembles a cycle.

[lajoswinkler]

You can make this acid if you pour a stronger acid (which isn't hard, as orthosilicic acid is a very weak one) into the solution of some alkali silicate. Grab water glass and muriatic acid from the hardware store, dillute them 1:10, and mix them. You'll get a goo. That's polymerized orthosilicic acid. If you dry it and then heat-dry it, you get SiO₂ in the form of highly porous solid silica gel.

[EdFred]

You're better off with Silane. Though there are issues with that as well.

For some fun reading look up the MSDS sheets for Silane, Disilane, Trisilane, and Tetrasilane.

Edited December 8, 2014 by EdFred

[JMBuilder]

Why would you think this stuff would make a good fossil fuel replacement?

Because I like to brainstorm and discuss ideas.