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Details of Grant 

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
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Condensed Matter Physics
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
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Summary on Grant Application Form
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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