Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

The Earth's crust is composed almost entirely of silicates, compounds of silicon (Si) and oxygen, and interacts with water on a massive scale to yield a hydrosphere replete with dissolved Si. It is biology, however, that controls the global Si cycle. Single-celled algae take up the majority of dissolved Si to construct their ornate cell walls composed of silica. Terrestrial plants require a constant supply to defend against biological and physical stresses, and, in mammals, Si is essential for stimulating connective tissue growth. Virtually nothing is known, however, about the chemical mechanisms underlying silicon biofunctionality. Commercially, aqueous silicates rank among the world's major chemical commodities. They are fundamental to uses as diverse as coatings, detergents, paper manufacturing and water treatment. However, many emerging applications, such as the directed fabrication of advanced engineering materials, have been hindered by our limited understanding of aqueous Si chemistry. My research program addresses all these issues. We are successfully characterizing the large array of molecular structures that exist in silicate solutions, unravelling the chemical role of silicon in biology, and learning how to make silicon chemistry work better in applications such as cement and the creation of novel microporous materials.