Chemistry of metalloid some intresting information ( short notes Metalloid and Semimetals )
Semimetals vs Metalloids
Metalloids
Definition: Chemical elements with properties intermediate between metals and nonmetals.
Examples: Boron, Silicon, Arsenic, Antimony, Tellurium
Key Properties:
- Semiconducting behavior
- Brittle solid form
- Variable chemical reactivity
Semimetals
Definition: Materials with small overlap between conduction and valence bands (physics concept).
Examples: Bismuth, Graphite, Arsenic, Antimony
Key Properties:
- Poor electrical conductors
- Metallic temperature conductivity response
- Used in thermoelectric materials
Key Differences
| Aspect | Metalloids | Semimetals |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Classification | Chemical properties | Electronic band structure |
| Electrical Conductivity | Increases with temperature | Decreases with temperature |
| Typical Applications | Semiconductors in electronics | Thermoelectric materials |
Overlap Note
Some elements (e.g., Arsenic, Antimony) can be classified as both metalloids and semimetals depending on context:
- Chemical context → Metalloid
- Electronic structure context → Semimetal
Quick Summary
- ✓ Metalloids = Chemical intermediaries (metal/non-metal)
- ✓ Semimetals = Electronic structure intermediaries
- ✓ Both important in materials science
posted by MMindpower @ March 07, 2025
3 Comments
3 Comments:
And what AI deep seek says
Metalloids are elements that have properties in between metals and non-metals. They are often semiconductors, like silicon and germanium. They can conduct electricity but not as well as metals, and their conductivity increases with temperature. Examples include boron, silicon, arsenic, etc.
Now, semimetals. The term semimetal sometimes gets confused with metalloid. Wait, in some contexts, semimetals refer to elements that have a small overlap between the conduction and valence bands, leading to partial metallic conductivity. Examples might include arsenic, antimony, bismuth. But wait, arsenic is also considered a metalloid. Hmm, there's overlap here.
Wait, maybe the confusion comes from different definitions. I've heard that "semimetal" in solid-state physics refers to materials like graphite or bismuth, which have electronic properties between metals and semiconductors. But in chemistry, "metalloid" is the term used for elements that are intermediate between metals and nonmetals. So perhaps the key difference ismetalloid is a chemical classification based on physical and chemical properties.
But I need to confirm this. Let me think. The periodic table has metals on the left and center, nonmetals on the right, and metalloids along the diagonal line between metals and nonmetals. The metalloids are boron, silicon, germanium, arsenic, antimony, tellurium, and sometimes polonium. Semimetals, on the other hand, are sometimes used interchangeably with metalloids, but in technical terms, semimetals have a different electronic structure. For example, in physics, semimetals have a small overlap between conduction and valence bands, leading to a low concentration of charge carriers. Examples include bismuth and antimony. Wait, but antimony is also a metalloid. So there's definitely some overlap here.
So maybe the difference is that metalloids are a group of elements classified based on their chemical properties, while semimetals are a classification based on their electronic structure. But some elements can be both metalloids and semimetals. That would explain why there's confusion. Alternatively
Alternatively, maybe semimetal is an older term that's been replaced by metalloid. Or maybe in some regions or textbooks, they use the terms differently.
Another angle: metalloids are semiconductors, especially in their crystalline form. For example, silicon is a semiconductor, hence a metalloid. Semimetals, like bismuth, have poor electrical conductivity compared to true metals but aren't semiconductors. Their conductivity decreases with temperature, unlike semiconductors where it increases. So that's a key difference in their electrical properties. Metalloids (as semiconductors) have increasing conductivity with temperature, while semimetals (like bismuth) have decreasing conductivity, more like metals.
Wait, metals' conductivity decreases with temperature because the lattice vibrations scatter electrons more. Semiconductors have increasing conductivity because more electrons are excited into the conduction band. So if a semimetal behaves more like a metal in that aspect, then their conductivity decreases with temperature, but they still have lower conductivity than regular metals. So metalloids, acting as semiconductors, have the opposite temperature dependence. Therefore, the difference is in their electronic behavior and temperature dependence of conductivity.
Therefore, to sum up, metalloids are elements with properties between metals and nonmetals, often semiconductors, while semimetals are materials with electronic structure that gives them partial metallic conduction, but with a small overlap between bands, leading to lower conductivity than metals and different temperature response. However, some elements like arsenic and antimony might be classified as both, depending on context. The terms can be confusing because of overlapping
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