Is the name for B2Si; boron silicide, diboride silicon or diboron silicide? Please explain.
by 
msgrint93
ANSWERS: 1
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Two borons, one silicon. Boron to the left of silicon and one level up in the Periodic Table, so arguably slightly less electronegative than silicon. Consider sodium chloride, sodium to the left, chlorine to the right, so chlorine definitely more electronegative than sodium. Sodium loses electron to become positive sodium ion. Chlorine gains electron to become negative chloride ion, Note the subtle name change for the negative ion. Although ions aren't involved in the boron-silicon case, the electronegativity rules indicate boron should stay boron and silicon should change to silicide. Since there are two borons it becomes diboron silicide. Boron would become boride if it were bonded to an element to the left of it like lithium. Similarly carbon bonded to most metals is a carbide, but bonded to O, S, Se, and the halogens for example it is a carbon (dioxide, disulphide, tetrachloride, etc. etc.)
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