Search Thermo Fisher Scientific
table of Elements
Lithium
Lithium X-ray photoelectron spectra, lithium electron configuration, and other elemental information.
Join the conversation
Lithium • Alkali Metal
Primary XPS region: Li1s
Overlapping regions: Au5p3/2, Fe3p1/2
Binding energies of common chemical states:
| Chemical state | Binding energy Li1s |
|---|---|
| Li2TiO3 | 54.7 eV |
| Li2CO3 | 55.4 eV |
| Li2B4O7 | 55.9 eV |
| LiF | 56.1 eV |
| LiCl | 56.3 eV |
Charge referenced to adventitious C1s peak at 284.8eV.
Experimental information
- Li1s peak has very low sensitivity.
- Use a large number (50) of scans when acquiring Li1s spectrum.
Interpretation of XPS spectra
- There are no lithium secondary peaks to assist in confirmation.
- Difficult to confidently assign Li1s peak for low concentrations. In the case of overlap with other elements, peak fitting will be required.
- In the example shown below, the Fe3p components have been empirically fitted (they do not represent a theoretically rigorous treatment of the Fe3p peak shape).
About this element
Symbol: Li
Date of discovery: 1817
Name origin: Greek lithos
Appearance: silvery
Discoverer: Johann Arfvedson
Obtained from: kernite
Melting point: 453.69 K
Boiling point: 1620.15 K
Density[kg/m3]: 535
Molar volume: 13.02 × 10-6 m3/mol
Protons/Electrons: 3
Neutrons: 4
Shell structure: 2,1
Electron configuration: [He]2s1
Oxidation state: 1
Crystal structure: body centered cubic
Johann Arfvedson discovered lithium in 1817 in a petalite ore found in Sweden. However, the highly reactive nature of lithium prevented its isolation until W.T. Brande and H. Davy used electrolysis on lithium oxide. Lithium is not found freely in nature because of its reactive nature. It is the lightest metal with a density about half that of water. Lithium is characterized by a bright red color when heated. The high electrochemical potential of lithium makes it an important material in storage batteries. Some lithium alloys are used to make high performance aircraft parts and a number of lithium salts are used as mood stabilizers in the treatment of bipolar disorder and depression.
Products
Style Sheet for Instrument Cards Original
Style Sheet for Global Design System
Style Sheet for Komodo Tabs
Style Sheet to change H3 to p with em-h3-header class
Style Sheet to change H2 style to p with em-h2-header class
Style Sheet for Products Table Specifications
Style Sheet for Global Design System
Style Sheet for Komodo Tabs
Style Sheet to change H3 to p with em-h3-header class
Style Sheet to change H2 style to p with em-h2-header class
Style Sheet for Products Table Specifications
Fix for left nav
Style Sheet for Support and Service footer
Style Sheet for Fonts
Style Sheet for Cards
Electron microscopy services for
the materials science
To ensure optimal system performance, we provide you access to a world-class network of field service experts, technical support, and certified spare parts.
