A compound or mineral containing both carbon and silicate, combining carbon-based and silicon oxide structures in a single material.
From carbo- (carbon) + silicate (silicon + oxygen + -ate, denoting a salt or compound). The term is used in mineralogy and materials science to describe mixed-composition compounds.
Carbosilicates are emerging as super-materials in space science—they appear in meteorites and could hold clues to how our solar system formed. These hybrids between carbon and silicon chemistry suggest that the earliest solar system had wildly different conditions than today.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.