Long considered a laboratory curiosity, lithium is now regarded as an industrially and economically strategic element. First detected in 1817, its industrial production did not begin until over a century later (1923). This element is present in the batteries of our cell phones, computers and electric vehicles, but it is also a key element in the metallurgy, lubricants, glass, ceramics, gas treatment and nuclear sectors, and forms the basis of certain pharmacological treatments. Such a wide range of uses calls for the most complete possible understanding of this element, in both its metallic (Li) and ionic (Li+) states.
Li lithium, a member of the alkali family, is emblematic of the strong relationships that exist between the size, charge and properties of a chemical element, and it is from this angle that we will detail those of lithium. Among other things, we'll be detailing the many consequences of the Li+ ion's high solvation energy, itself dictated by its size, and which explains, for example, the exceptional reducing power of lithium metal, the solubility of Li+ salts, the dynamics of Li+ ions in solution, their desolvation, and so on. Describing these various aspects will also provide an opportunity to compare the performance of Li-ion and Na-ion battery technologies.
The electrochemical reversibility of the lithium electrode will also be discussed, as well as some specific features of lithium metal reactivity and its potential applications, such as the low-temperature synthesis of ammonia and nitrogen fertilizers.
