Catenation occurs most readily with carbon, which forms covalent bonds with other carbon atoms to form long chains and structures. This is the r…

Theories of the structure of water involve three-dimensional networks of tetrahedra and chains and rings, linked via hydrogen bonding.
A polycatenated network, with rings formed from metal-templated hemispheres linke…

Silicon can form sigma bonds to other silicon atoms (and disilane is the parent of this class of compounds). However, it is difficult to prepare and isolate SinH2n+2 (analogous to the saturated alkane hydrocarbons) with n greater than about …

In dodecaborate(12) anion, twelve boron atoms covalently link to each other to form an icosahedral structure. Various other similar motifs are also well studied, such as boranes, carboranes and metal dicarbollides.

Nitrogen, unlike its neighbor carbon, is much less likely to form chains that are stable at room temperature. But, there do exist nitrogen chains; for example, in solid nitrogen, triazane, azide anion and triazoles. Longer series with eight or more nitroge…