Hey, I know that trying to put lithium or any alkali metal in water would result in hydrogen gas and an explosion, but is it possible to dissolve small amounts of the regular 1s^2 2s^1 form in a solvent that wouldn't react so violently? I mean, it wants to give that valence electron away, so could a solvent shell form around the lithium atoms (if they were unbonded) even if it technically doesn't have a charge?

 

That probably sounds a bit jumbled, so here's a hypothetical scenario to better illustrate the question: A lithium atom with all its original protons and electrons intact is put inside a liquid solvent that is made up of a molecule that has a + side and a - side(much like water's "hands and feet"), but no hydrogen. Will a solvation shell be formed around the atom, since it wants to get rid of that valence electron so badly (and maybe the positive ends of the solvent will be attracted? But wouldn't that just form a partial shell around the area where the electron is?).

 

Thanks, I hope none of that sounded too weird. I haven't formally taken chemistry yet, but I have a basic knowledge of it.

The simple answer is yes.

You can dissolve Li in some solvents, the most commonly used is liquid ammonia.

 

dittto for sodium

The solutions are nt very stable and slowly convert to the amide and hydrogen.