Li2SiO3 is beta beryllia-derived structured and crystallizes in the orthorhombic Cmc2_1 space group. Li(1) is bonded to one O(1) and three equivalent O(2) atoms to form LiO4 tetrahedra that share corners with five equivalent Si(1)O4 tetrahedra and corners with seven equivalent Li(1)O4 tetrahedra. Si(1) is bonded to two equivalent O(1) and two equivalent O(2) atoms to form SiO4 tetrahedra that share corners with two equivalent Si(1)O4 tetrahedra and corners with ten equivalent Li(1)O4 tetrahedra. There are two inequivalent O sites. In the first O site, O(1) is bonded to two equivalent Li(1) and two equivalent Si(1) atoms to form OLi2Si2 tetrahedra that share corners with two equivalent O(1)Li2Si2 tetrahedra and corners with ten equivalent O(2)Li3Si tetrahedra. In the second O site, O(2) is bonded to three equivalent Li(1) and one Si(1) atom to form distorted OLi3Si tetrahedra that share corners with five equivalent O(1)Li2Si2 tetrahedra and corners with seven equivalent O(2)Li3Si tetrahedra.
Li2SiO3 is beta beryllia-derived structured and crystallizes in the orthorhombic Cmc2_1 space group. Li(1) is bonded to one O(1) and three equivalent O(2) atoms to form LiO4 tetrahedra that share corners with five equivalent Si(1)O4 tetrahedra and corners with seven equivalent Li(1)O4 tetrahedra. The Li(1)-O(1) bond length is 2.14 Å. There are a spread of Li(1)-O(2) bond distances ranging from 1.91-1.95 Å. Si(1) is bonded to two equivalent O(1) and two equivalent O(2) atoms to form SiO4 tetrahedra that share corners with two equivalent Si(1)O4 tetrahedra and corners with ten equivalent Li(1)O4 tetrahedra. There is one shorter (1.68 Å) and one longer (1.69 Å) Si(1)-O(1) bond length. Both Si(1)-O(2) bond lengths are 1.60 Å. There are two inequivalent O sites. In the first O site, O(1) is bonded to two equivalent Li(1) and two equivalent Si(1) atoms to form OLi2Si2 tetrahedra that share corners with two equivalent O(1)Li2Si2 tetrahedra and corners with ten equivalent O(2)Li3Si tetrahedra. In the second O site, O(2) is bonded to three equivalent Li(1) and one Si(1) atom to form distorted OLi3Si tetrahedra that share corners with five equivalent O(1)Li2Si2 tetrahedra and corners with seven equivalent O(2)Li3Si tetrahedra.