| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/L76846/01 |
| Title: |
DIFFRACTION STUDIES OF METAL-AMINE SOLUTIONS: THE STRUCTURE OF THE METAL-NON-METAL TRANSITION |
| Principal Investigator: |
Skipper, Professor N |
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| Department: |
Physics and Astronomy |
| Organisation: |
UCL |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
01 October 1997 |
Ends: |
30 November 2000 |
Value (£): |
185,396
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| No relevance to Underpinning Sectors |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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The aim of this proposal is to establish the microscopic structure of alkali metal-amine solution around the metal- nonmetal (M-NM) transition, using complementary neutron and X-ray diffraction techniques. In these solutions the M-NM transition occurs on dilution, and takes place relatively close to ambient temperatures and pressures. The chosen solutions therefore provide a unique opportunity to study the role of electron solvation/delocalisation on the M-NM transition. We propose to study solutions of Li, Na, K and Cs in ammonia, and Li and K in methylamine. Each system will be the subject of a coherent set of X-ray and neutron diffraction experiments which will allow us to establish; the structure of the solvent molecules, ion-ion and ion-solvent radial distribution functions, and discriminate between proposed solvent cavities formed around excess electrons. Our choice of ions will enable us to quantify ion-size effects, and in particular the difference between structure-making and structure-breaking species. Solvent-size effects will be established by comparing ammonia with methylamine. We expect to see contrasting solvation and electronic behaviour in these two solvents, as the methylamine solutions do not exhibit a true composition dependent M-NM transition.
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Key Findings |
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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