The group 14 elements are carbon, silicon, germanium, tin, lead and flerovium.
Carbon differs significantly from the other elements in seldom having four single bonds to chalcogens, and so has few compounds in this class such as orthocarbonates.
[1] Chalcogenidotetrelates form numerous structures, from zero-dimensional simple tetrahedra, clusters or supertetrahedra, one-dimensional chains, two-dimensional layers or three-dimensional networks, which may also be porous.
[2] Chalcogenidotetrelates encompass the most common minerals on Earth, and other terrestrial planets in the form of silicates and carbonates.
[2] Related materials include the chalcogenidotrielates, and organo-functionalized chalcogenidotetrelates, which have one or more organic groups attached to the tetrel atom.