A new model of metallic structure and bonding

This paper briefly describes the current physical model of metallic structure and bonding. An alternative model is introduced. It shows that the new model, which calculated internuclear distances of Group 1 and Group 2 crystalline binary salts to a remarkable degree of accuracy, can be applied to calculate metallic radii (equal to half the internuclear distances) of Group 1 and Group 2 metals precisely. A simple expression previously used to calculate lattice energies using the soft-sphere radii concept is applied to calculate enthalpies of formation of Group 1 and Group 2 metal ions and results compare well with observed values. A few of the limitations of the current models are described and properties of metals which can be accounted for by the soft-sphere model are discussed. The work functions of Group 1 and Group 2 metals are shown to be inverse functions of the soft sphere ionic radii.
European Chemical Bulletin, Vol 3, No 4 (2014): European Chemical Bulletin