Structure of the Nearest Environment ofNa+, K+,Rb+, and Cs+ Ions inOxygen-Containing Solvents

The review generalizes and analyzes published data on different methods of studying structural characteristics of the solvation environment of alkali metal ions (except for Li+) in various electron-donor oxygen-containing solvents. Coordination numbers of alkali metal ions, interspecies distances, and types of ion association are discussed. The solvation structures of alkali metal cations in water and some nonaqueous systems are compared. The number of solvent molecules and the distance between the cation and oxygen atom of solvent molecule in the first coordination sphere are independent of physicochemical properties of the solvent.