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Alkali Metals

Alkali Metals

Group 1 elements are soft and shiny metallic solids. They are malleable, ductile, and good conductors of heat and electricity. The melting points of the alkali metals are unusually low for metals and decrease going down the group, while the density increases going down the group with the exception of potassium (Table 1).
Table 1: Properties of the alkali metals

Metallic Solids

Metallic Solids

Metallic solids such as crystals of copper, aluminum, and iron are formed by metal atoms. The structure of metallic crystals is often described as a uniform distribution of atomic nuclei within a “sea” of delocalized electrons. The atoms within such a metallic solid are held together by a unique force known as metallic bonding that gives rise to many useful and varied bulk properties.
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability....

Bonding in Metals

Bonding in Metals

Metallic bonds are formed between two metal atoms. A simplified model to describe metallic bonding has been developed by Paul Drüde called the “Electron Sea Model”.

Metal-Ligand Bonds

Metal-Ligand Bonds

The hemoglobin in the blood, the chlorophyll in green plants, vitamin B-12, and the catalyst used in the manufacture of polyethylene all contain coordination compounds. Ions of the metals, especially the transition metals, are likely to form complexes.
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...

Atomic Orbitals

Atomic Orbitals

An atomic orbital represents the three-dimensional regions in an atom where an electron has the highest probability to reside. The radial distribution function indicates the total probability of finding an electron within the thin shell at a distance r from the nucleus. The atomic orbitals have distinct shapes which are determined by l, the angular momentum quantum number. The orbitals are often drawn with a boundary surface, enclosing densest regions of the cloud.

Properties of Transition Metals

Properties of Transition Metals

Transition metals are defined as those elements that have partially filled d orbitals. As shown in Figure 1, the d-block elements in groups 3–12 are transition elements. The f-block elements, also called inner transition metals (the lanthanides and actinides), also meet this criterion because the d orbital is partially occupied before the f orbitals.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 6, 2026

From Molecules to Materials: Engineering New Ionic Liquid Crystals Through Halogen Bonding

From Molecules to Materials: Engineering New Ionic Liquid Crystals Through Halogen Bonding

Published on: March 24, 2018

Engineering Functional Metal Materials at the Atomic Level.

Qiaofeng Yao¹, Xun Yuan², Tiankai Chen¹

¹Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, 117585, Singapore.

Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)

|August 18, 2018

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers are customizing functional metal nanomaterials, like gold and silver nanoclusters (NCs), at the atomic level. This precise synthesis unlocks new catalytic and biomedical applications for these advanced materials.

Keywords:

atomic precision biomedicines catalysis metal nanoclusters structure hierarchy

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Area of Science:

Nanomaterials Science
Materials Chemistry
Atomic-Level Engineering

Background:

Functional nanomaterials development is advancing towards atomic-level customization.
Metal nanoclusters (NCs) (<3 nm) possess hierarchical structures influencing their properties.
Thiolate-protected gold (Au) and silver (Ag) NCs are key examples of tunable nanomaterials.

Purpose of the Study:

To review state-of-the-art methods for atomic-level modulation of metal nanomaterials.
To categorize synthetic strategies for size- and structure-controlled nanocluster synthesis.
To highlight the impact of hierarchical structures on nanocluster properties and applications.

Main Methods:

Synthesis of thiolate-protected metal nanoclusters (NCs) with controlled size and structure.
Characterization of NCs at the atomic level, focusing on hierarchical structures.
Categorization of synthetic methodologies for achieving atomic-level monodispersity.

Main Results:

Demonstrated atomic-level control over metal nanocluster synthesis.
Established dependence of physicochemical properties on NC size and hierarchical structure.
Showcased size- and structure-dictated catalytic and biomedical performance of metal NCs.

Conclusions:

Precise synthesis of metal NCs enables tailored properties.
Atomic-level modulation opens novel application opportunities in catalysis and biomedicine.
Hierarchical structure-based development can establish metal NCs as a new class of functional materials.