Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/R89431/01
Title:	Experimental characterisation of the lithium bond
Principal Investigator:	Legon, Professor AC
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
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Department:	Chemistry
Organisation:	University of Exeter
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	07 January 2003	Ends:	31 July 2005	Value (£):	160,418
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Chemical Structure Gas & Solution Phase Reactions
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Chemicals Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
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Summary on Grant Application Form
The aim of the research is to characterise the lithium bond in complexes BAN in isolation in the gas phase, where B is a Lewis base and X is a halogen atom. This is to be achieved by observing the rotational spectra of such complexes produced by using laser ablation of solid LIX, analysing spectra to give a variety of spectroscopic constants and then interpreting the latter to give a range of properties of the isolated species B..LiX. Properties of interest are the angular and radial geometry the strength of the lithium bond (as defined by the intermolecular stretching and bending force constants), and the electric charge redistribution on complex formation. Also,to what extent does the lithium bond show a propensity to be non-linear.(cf. the H bond) and is the Li+ ion affinity of a B such as trimethylamine sufficient to give Li+ ion transfer from LiX to the base (cf.B..HX complexes when B = trimethylamine). The B are chosen for their simplicity, their electron donor type (n- or pi-type or both),and to parallel those used in earlier investigations of hydrogen-bonded complexes B..HX. By comparison of the properties of each pair B..LiX and B..HX for a given B and a given X, we can establish similarities and differences between the Li- and H-bonds and, in particular, discover the effect of the filled 1 s inner core of elecrons present in Li, but absent in H, on the properties of the lithium bond.
Key Findings
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Organisation Website:	http://www.ex.ac.uk