Inorganic chemistry alkali metals

A. A. Eldridge, G. W. Dysun, A. J. E. Welch, D. A. Pantony, eds., Mellors Comprehensive Treatise on Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, Vol. II, Suppl. Ill, The Alkali Metals, Part 2. Longmans Green, London, 1963. 

Seven chemical reactions were identified from the chemistry syllabus. These chemical reactions were selected because they were frequently encountered during the 2-year chemistiy course and based on their importance in understanding concepts associated with three topics, namely, acids, bases and salts, metal reactivity series and inorganic chemistry qualitative analysis. The seven types of chemical reactions were combustion of reactive metals in air, chemical reactions between dilute acids and reactive metals, neutralisation reactions between strong acids and strong alkalis, neutralisation reactions between dilute acids and metal oxides, chemical reactions between dilute acids and metal carbonates, ionic precipitation reactions and metal ion displacement reactions. Although two of the chemical reactions involved oxidation and reduction, it was decided not to include the concept of redox in this study as students had only recently been introduced to ion-electron... 

Sheldrick WS, Wachhold M, Jobic S, Brec R, Canadell E (1997) New low-dimensional solids tellurium-rich alkali metal tellurides. Adv Mater 9 669-675 Zheng Zh, Greedan JE (2004) Rare earth elements and materials. In Meyers RA (ed) Encyclopedia of Physical Science and Technology - Inorganic Chemistry. Elsevier Science, URL ... 

King, R. B. (1995). Inorganic Chemistry of the Main Group Elements. VCH Publishers, New York. An excellent introduction to the descriptive chemistry of many elements. Chapter 10 deals with the alkali and alkaline earth metals. 

One informative means of organizing a discussion of binary alkah metal compounds is by group in the periodic table. The overview provided below begins with binary alloys formed with other alkali metals and ends with binary compounds formed with halogens. The focus is primarily on second row elements. More detailed discussions can be found in the books concerning inorganic chemistry [26, 27]. 

Cesium chloride [7647-17-8] M 168.4, m 645°, b 1303°, d 3.99. Soluble in H2O but can be purified by crystn from HbO (sol in g per cent 162.3(0.7°), 182.2(16.2°) and 290(at bp 119.4°)] and dried in high vac. Sol in EtOH and is deliquescent, keep in a tightly closed container. [Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry (ed Brauer) Vol I 951 1963]. For further purification of CsCl, a cone aqueous soln of the practically pure reagent is treated with an equivalent weight if I2 and CI2 bubbled into the soln until pptn of CsC I ceased. Reciystn yields a salt which is free from other alkali metals. It is then decomposed to pure CsCl on heating. [JACS 52 3886 1930]. Also rerystd from acetone-water, or from water (0.5ml/g) by cooling in CaC /ice. Dried at 78° under vacuum. 

In a book review written in 1974,4 R. J. P. Williams commented that the inorganic chemistry of these elements—Na, K, Mg and Ca—is taught no more because there are no spectra to tease the mind and consequently they remain out of sight (spectroscopic), out of mind . Certainly this bore much truth with regard to coordination chemistry, especially as the watershed established in 1967, when C. J. Pedersen5 discovered that macrocyclic polyethers can act as efficient ligands for alkali and alkaline earth metals, had barely reached the textbooks. 

Ionic compounds are named with the cation (positive ion) first. Nearly all cations in inorganic chemistry are monatomic, meaning they just consist of one atom (like Ca2+, the calcium ion.) This atom will be a metal ion. For common ionic compounds, the alkali metals always have a 1+ charge and the alkali earth metals always have a 2+ charge. 

Thirtle, J. R. Grganolithium Compounds, in Newer Methods of Preparative Organic Chemistry, 571-590, Interscience Publishers, Inc., New York (1948). Gilman, H. Organometallie Compounds in Organic Chemistry—An Advanced Treatise, 2d ed., VoL I, 489-545, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York (1943). Suttle, J. F. The Alkali Metals, Vol. VI of Sneed and Rrasted s Comprehensive Inorganic Chemistry, D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., New York (1957). 

Gmelin Handbook of Inorganic Chemistry, System No. 68, Platinum. Main Volume, (a) Part A in Sections 1-6, 1938-1951 (Platinum Metals, Occurrence, History, Preparation, Alloys) (b) Part B The Element in Sections 1-4,1939-1942, Physical and Electrochemical properties of Platinum (Chemical reactions of Pt in Section 4) (c) Part C The Compounds of Platinum. Section 1. Compounds with Noble Gases, H, O, N, Halogens, S, Se, Te, B, C,Si, P, As, Sb, Bi, 1939 (d) Section 2. Compounds with the alkali metals and ammonium, mainly the alkali metal platinum double salts, 1940 . (e) Section 3 Other Compounds, 1940 (f) Part D Complexes with Neutral ligands, 1957. Supplement Volume (g) Part A. Section 1. Technology of Platinum Metals. 1986 (h) Section 2. Isotopes, Atoms, Molecules and Clusters. 1989. 

Based in part on the article Alkali Metals Inorganic Chemistry by Francis S. Mair Ronald Snaith which appeared in the Encyclopedia of Inorganic Chemistry, First Edition. 

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