alkali metal: References & Edit History
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Additional Reading
J.W. Mellor, A Comprehensive Treatise on Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry, 16 vol. (1922–37), and vol. II, supplements II and III (1961 and 1963), is a comprehensive treatment devoted to the alkali metals and their compounds, including history, production methods, analysis, alloy systems, and physical, chemical, biological, and spectrochemical properties. R.B. King (ed.), Encyclopedia of Inorganic Chemistry, 8 vol. (1994), deals with all aspects of inorganic chemistry and includes coverage of the alkali metals. Lithium recovery, separation, analysis, use in batteries, and biological properties are described in R.O. Bach (ed.), Lithium, Current Applications in Science, Medicine, and Technology (1985). More fundamental aspects of lithium chemistry can be found in A.-M. Sapse and P. von Ragué Schleyer (eds.), Lithium Chemistry: A Theoretical and Experimental Overview (1995). Descriptions of Bose-Einstein condensation of dilute alkali metal vapours are available in the December 1999 issue of Physics Today. Comprehensive treatments of organic complexants for alkali metal cations such as crown ethers and cryptands can be found in G.W. Gokel (ed.), Comprehensive Supramolecular Chemistry: Molecular Recognition: Receptors for Cationic Guests (1996). The chemistry of alkali metal anions is described in chapter 13 of this reference.
Article Contributors
Primary Contributors
-
James L. Dye
Emeritus Professor of Chemistry, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich.
- Frederick Tepper
Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors
Article History
| Type | Description | Contributor | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invalidated site: Angelo State University - Group 1A ? The Alkali Metals. | Sep 14, 2026 | ||
| Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Alkali‐Metal Mediation: Diversity of Applications in Main‐Group Organometallic Chemistry. | Dec 10, 2025 | ||
| Add new Web site: National Institute of Standards and Technology - Suppression Mechanisms of Alkali Metal Compounds (PDF). | Aug 01, 2025 | ||
| Add new Web site: ACS Publications - A Study of the Hydration of the Alkali Metal Ions in Aqueous Solution. | Mar 26, 2025 | ||
| Questions and answers added. | Jan 31, 2025 | ||
| Add new Web site: Stanford University - Environmental Health and Safety - Information on Alkali Metals. | Sep 17, 2024 | ||
| Add new Web site: CAMEO Chemicals - Metals, Alkali, Very Active. | May 27, 2024 | ||
| Add new Web site: University of Babylon - Alkali Metals and their Compounds (Group IA or 1, ns1?). | Apr 18, 2024 | ||
| Add new Web site: Nature - Alkali metal reduction of alkali metal cations. | Mar 04, 2024 | ||
| Add new Web site: Angelo State University - Group 1A ? The Alkali Metals. | Oct 15, 2023 | ||
| Links added. | Jun 16, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: The Royal Society Publishing - Philosophical Transactions A - The alkali metals: 200 years of surprises. | Dec 02, 2022 | ||
| Add new Web site: Chemistry LibreTexts - Group 1 - Alkali Metals. | Sep 06, 2022 | ||
| Add new Web site: Chemistry LibreTexts Library - The Alkali Metals. | May 01, 2022 | ||
| Added a diagram of a cesium atomic clock. | Nov 06, 2020 | ||
| Media added. | Jan 13, 2020 | ||
| Add new Web site: The Periodic Table - Alkali Metal. | Feb 28, 2019 | ||
| Corrected display issue. | Jun 14, 2018 | ||
| Corrected display issue. | Jun 21, 2017 | ||
| Add new Web site: BBC Bitesize - Alkali Metal. | Apr 10, 2013 | ||
| Article revised and updated. | Oct 03, 2008 | ||
| Bibliography revised. | Apr 04, 2008 | ||
| Article revised and updated. | Apr 04, 2008 | ||
| Article added to new online database. | Oct 30, 1998 |