Knowra Lithium fluoride Lithium fluoride Lithium fluoride is an inorganic ionic compound with formula LiF, made of lithium cations and fluoride anions. It forms colorless crystals with a high melting point and is unusually transparent to ultraviolet light.
Ionic bonding : Chemical bonding produced by electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions. LiF’s crystal lattice is held together by attraction between Li⁺ and F⁻ ions.
Ultraviolet optics : Optical technologies designed to transmit, manipulate, or detect ultraviolet radiation. LiF windows and lenses transmit ultraviolet wavelengths that many common glasses absorb.
Born–Landé equation : An equation estimating an ionic crystal’s lattice energy from ion charges, distances, and repulsive interactions. It models the electrostatic stabilization that helps hold LiF’s ionic lattice together.
Sodium fluoride : An ionic compound with formula NaF, composed of sodium cations and fluoride anions. NaF shares LiF’s ion types but differs in crystal dimensions and physical properties.
Lithium : A soft, silvery alkali metal with atomic number 3 and the lowest density of any solid element. Lithium supplies the positively charged ions in LiF.
Vacuum ultraviolet : Ultraviolet radiation at wavelengths so short that air strongly absorbs it. LiF’s transparency extends into wavelengths used in vacuum-ultraviolet instruments.
Frenkel defect : A crystal defect in which an ion leaves its lattice site and occupies an interstitial position. Point defects in LiF crystals can affect their electrical and optical properties.
Lithium chloride : An ionic compound with formula LiCl, composed of lithium cations and chloride anions. Replacing fluoride with the larger chloride ion changes the crystal’s properties and optical behavior.
Fluoride : The negatively charged ion F⁻, formed when a fluorine atom gains one electron. Fluoride supplies the negatively charged ions in LiF.
Lithium fluoride optical window : A transparent LiF component used to transmit ultraviolet, visible, or infrared radiation in optical systems. This component exploits LiF’s broad transmission range, while requiring protection from moisture.
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