In the 1790s, while on the Swedish island of Uto, a Brazilian scientist by the name Jozé Bonifácio de Andralda e Silva discovered the first natural mineral compound called petalite. The compound was an oxide of lithium, aluminum, and silicon, with a chemical formula of LiAlSi 4 O 10 . Jozé Bonifácio discovered that by throwing the mineral in a flame, an intense crimson glow would be produced during its combustion. In 1817, an analysis of this mineral was done by scientist Johan August Arfvedson from Stockholm. Arfvedson discovered that the ore contained lithium metal, which was a new form of an alkali metal, with similar characteristics to sodium metal. His bid to separate the metal from its raw compound through electrolysis was unsuccessful. In 1821, William Brande embarked on a second attempt to separate the metal through electrolysis, and could only manage to collect a minute quantity, insufficient for laboratory measurements and analysis. In 1855, Augustus Matthiessen from Britain and Robert Bunsen from Germany combined efforts and separated bulk quantities of lithium through electrolysis of molten form of lithium chloride. Unlike other alkali elements that were discovered from plant materials, lithium was found from a mineral stone, thus the origin of its name 'lithos,' which implies 'stone' in Greek. Its natural abundance is so limited, with an estimation of only 0.0007% of the earth’s crust being made up of lithium (The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2020).
Structure
Lithium is a soft silvery metal and solid at room temperature. It is the lightest of all known metals with a density of 33.3 pounds/cubic foot and melts at 356.90°F. It falls in Group 1 and Period 2 on the periodic table, with an atomic number of 3. Its electronic configuration is [He] 2s 1 . Its Relative Atomic Mass is 6.94 (The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2020).
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The lithium atom structure comprises three electrons, two of which are on the first orbital and the third lone electron on the second orbital. The electrons are bound to the nucleus, containing three positively charged protons with either three or four neurons. The possibility of three or four neurons gives rise to lithium isotopes 7 Li or 6 Li. Of the two isotopes, 7 Li is the most common with a natural abundance of 92.4 percent (The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2020).
Industrial Importance
The most common industrial use of lithium is in the manufacture of lithium batteries. The battery relies on the highly reactive characteristic of lithium. The battery consists of a positive cathode side (lithium oxide) and a negative anode side (lithium-carbon graphite), separated by a porous region. The high reactivity nature of lithium enables the movement of electrons from the anode to the cathode via external lope and positively charged lithium ions through the porous region to offset the imbalance. This creates a flow of electric current, thus forming a battery. These batteries are used in phones, laptops, cameras and electric vehicles. Lithium batteries come in both rechargeable and non-rechargeable forms. Lithium hydride has two primary functions. The main purpose of the hydride is to store hydrogen, which can be used as fuel. The stored hydrogen is reacted with oxygen in a fuel cell to power engines and enable movement of motor parts. This technology is currently being deployed in the transportation industry, such as cars and trains. The second use of lithium hydride is an industrial precursor in the manufacture of useful and complex hydrides such as Lithium borohydride, which is used as a reducing agent. Lithium is also used in the manufacture of glass and ceramics. The 200-inch mirror on Mount Palomar telescope has lithium as a component. The most promising use of lithium in astronomy is its potential to be deployed as a liquid lunar telescope in the form of lithium ammonia due to its high reflectivity in the infra-red region and a low melting point of -299.47 F (Burns, 2008). As the lightest metal known, lithium's alloy with other metals such as aluminum, cadmium, and copper is commonly used in the manufacture of light aircraft. The hydroxide of lithium is also deployed in the aviation industry to remove carbon (IV) oxide from the spacecraft's atmosphere. Lithium stearate is slippery with a high melting point. This makes it efficient in its use for the manufacture of high-temperature lubricants. Lastly, lithium chloride and lithium bromide have a high adsorptive capacity, thus used as desiccants.
Clinical Use
After discovering lithium's therapeutic potential due to its ability to dissolve uric acid, it was later deployed in the treatment of kidney stones. However, lethal side effects were discovered, thus diminishing its clinical use. A century later, lithium was once again deployed in the clinical management of gout and treatment of epilepsy. It was also used as a mild tonic and sedative agent in the mid-19 th century. In the 1870s, the use of lithium in the treatment of affective disorders began, though its side effects were still a nuisance. However, from 1949, modern psychopharmacology led to the establishment of the correct dosage and management of symptoms and side effects, leading to the widespread use of lithium in the treatment of affective disorders. The widely used forms of lithium in this area are lithium citrate and lithium carbonate. Upon taking a dose of lithium, its ions distribute within the central nervous system. They act by increasing the rate of synthesis of biochemical compound serotonin and decrease the synthesis of norepinephrine, thus stabilizing symptoms of the bipolar disease (Tondo et al., 2019).
References
Burns, C. A. (2008). Is lithium ammonia suitable for a liquid lunar telescope? Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific , 120 (864), 188-190. https://doi.org/10.1086/526539
The Royal Society of Chemistry. (2020). Lithium - Element information, properties and uses . https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/3/lithium
Tondo, L., Alda, M., Bauer, M., Bergink, V., Grof, P., Hajek, T., Lewitka, U., Licht, R. W., Manchia, M., Müller-Oerlinghausen, B., Nielsen, R. E., Selo, M., Simhandl, C., & Baldessarini, R. J. (2019). Clinical use of lithium salts: Guide for users and prescribers. International Journal of Bipolar Disorders , 7 (1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40345-019-0151-2
