Pyrovus - 17-1-2004 at 00:14
I once read in a book about how they managed to produce a compound of sodium in the -1 oxidation state by reacting it with some organic substance (I
can't remember what), which was able to trap Na+ ions, and thereby causing the sodium to disproportionate into Na+ and Na-, forming silvery
crystals which react with practically anything. The book went on to explain that the Na- ion is stable because it results in a completed s subshell,
but doesn't go into any further detail about the properties of alkalide salts or other ways in which they may be formed, and I've been
unable to find much further information elsewhere. Rather annoying, as these compounds seem quite interesting, for not only are they the best
demonstration of the falsehood of the octet "rule" (a "rule" which has always particularly annoyed me), their reducing power would
probably be the highest of any known substance.
Does anyone here have any knowledge of these compounds?
unionised - 17-1-2004 at 04:06
http://www.ias.ac.in/resonance/June2001/pdf/June2001p71-79.p...