Effect on formation of silicate anions

The study of the distribution of these species as a function of Si02 concentration, pH and the nature of the cation(s). In this respect, it is worth mentioning the effect of alkali ions on the connectivity of the Si species. Figure 3 [15] it can be seen that, in solutions differing only by the nature of the alkali ion (Li, Na, K, Rb and Cs), it is not the nature but the relative distribution of these silicate species that is affected. Such an effect has been ascribed to the formation of cation-anion pairs and is discussed in detail in [9b], where cation ( Li, Na, and Cs) NMR results further support this idea. 

In such complex system as aluminosilicate precursor gels, various lifetime components can appear reflecting material structure. The gel structure is a result of direct interaction of cations with silicate, aluminate and aluminosilicate anions, redistribution of charges and electron density over the system of aluminosiloxane bonds with effect on the formation of different structural units [24],... 

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