Coulomb explosion during the early stages of the reaction of alkali metals with water
Result description
Alkali metals can react explosively with water and it is textbook knowledge that this vigorous behaviour results from heat release, steam formation and ignition of the hydrogen gas that is produced. Here we suggest that the initial process enabling the alkali metal explosion in water is, however, of a completely different nature. High-speed camera imaging of liquid drops of a sodium/potassium alloy in water reveals submillisecond formation of metal spikes that protrude from the surface of the drop. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that on immersion in water there is an almost immediate release of electrons from the metal surface. The system thus quickly reaches the Rayleigh instability limit, which leads to a 'coulomb explosion' of the alkalimetal drop. Consequently, a new metal surface in contact with water is formed, which explains why the reaction does not become self-quenched by its products, but can rather lead to explosive behaviour.
Keywords
sodium-potasium alloywatercoulomb explosionhigh-speed cameramolecular dynamics
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
Result on the web
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Coulomb explosion during the early stages of the reaction of alkali metals with water
Original language description
Alkali metals can react explosively with water and it is textbook knowledge that this vigorous behaviour results from heat release, steam formation and ignition of the hydrogen gas that is produced. Here we suggest that the initial process enabling the alkali metal explosion in water is, however, of a completely different nature. High-speed camera imaging of liquid drops of a sodium/potassium alloy in water reveals submillisecond formation of metal spikes that protrude from the surface of the drop. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that on immersion in water there is an almost immediate release of electrons from the metal surface. The system thus quickly reaches the Rayleigh instability limit, which leads to a 'coulomb explosion' of the alkalimetal drop. Consequently, a new metal surface in contact with water is formed, which explains why the reaction does not become self-quenched by its products, but can rather lead to explosive behaviour.
Czech name
—
Czech description
—
Classification
Type
Jx - Unclassified - Peer-reviewed scientific article (Jimp, Jsc and Jost)
CEP classification
CF - Physical chemistry and theoretical chemistry
OECD FORD branch
—
Result continuities
Project
Continuities
I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace
Others
Publication year
2015
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
Nature Chemistry
ISSN
1755-4330
e-ISSN
—
Volume of the periodical
7
Issue of the periodical within the volume
3
Country of publishing house
GB - UNITED KINGDOM
Number of pages
5
Pages from-to
250-254
UT code for WoS article
000350115700015
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-84923338638
Result type
Jx - Unclassified - Peer-reviewed scientific article (Jimp, Jsc and Jost)
CEP
CF - Physical chemistry and theoretical chemistry
Year of implementation
2015