Oxygen configurations in silica

We propose a transition state for oxygen in silica. This state is produced by the insertion of an oxygen molecule into the Si–O–Si bond, i.e., it consists of producing a Si–O–O–O–Si bond. This state allows molecular oxygen diffusion in silica without breaking the molecular ${\mathrm{O}}_2$ bond and it is energetically more stable than a peroxy configuration. This configuration may allow for exchange of molecular oxygen with the oxygen in the silica framework.