Dilithium (real)

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This article is about the molecule. For the fictional element in Star Trek and other contexts, see Dilithium.

Dilithium, Li₂, is a diatomic molecule comprising two lithium atoms covalently bonded together. Li₂ is known in the gas phase. It has a bond order of 1, an internuclear separation of 267.3 pm and a bond energy of 101 kJ mol⁻¹.¹

Higher numbers of covalently bonded lithium atoms exist, albeit in small quantities. It has been observed, for example, that 1% of lithium in the vapor phase (by mass) is in the form of dilithium. Clusters of lithium atoms also exist; the most common arrangement is Li₆.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] See also

• Dilithium molecular orbital diagram

[edit] References

1. Chemical Bonding, Mark J. Winter, Oxford University Press, 1994 ISBN-10: 0-19-855694-2
2. Greenwood, N. N.; A. Earnshaw (1997). Chemistry of the Elements, 2nd Edition, Oxford:Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0-7506-3365-4. 

[edit] External links