| HS Code | 884288 |
| Product Name | Lithium Methoxide Liquid |
| Chemical Name | Lithium methoxide |
| Synonyms | Lithium methylate; Methanol lithium salt |
| Chemical Formula | CH3OLi |
| Cas Number | 865-34-9 |
| Einecs Number | 212-737-2 |
| Molecular Weight | 38.00 g/mol |
| Appearance | Clear, colorless to pale yellow liquid |
| Odor | Alcohol-like/methanol-like |
| Concentration | Typically 10% w/w in methanol (approximately 2.3 M) |
| Density | Approximately 0.85 g/cm3 at 20 °C |
| Boiling Point | Approximately 65 °C (methanol component) |
| Flash Point | Approximately 11 °C |
| Solubility | Soluble in methanol; reacts with water |
| Ph | Strongly alkaline |
| Storage Temperature | 2-8 °C |
| Storage Conditions | Store under inert gas in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from moisture and ignition sources |
| Sensitivity | Moisture and air sensitive |
| Incompatibilities | Water, acids, oxidizing agents |
| Hazard Class | 3 (Flammable liquid), 6.1 (Toxic) |
| Un Number | 1992 |
| Packing Group | II |
| Hazard Statements | H225, H301, H311, H331, H314, H370 |
| Precautionary Statements | P210, P260, P280, P301+P310, P305+P351+P338 |
As an accredited Lithium Methoxide Liquid factory, we enforce strict quality protocols—every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent efficacy and safety standards.
| Packing | Lithium Methoxide Liquid is supplied in 1 L amber glass bottles with chemical-resistant caps and hazardous-material labels. |
| Container Loading (20′ FCL) | Secure loading of Lithium Methoxide Liquid into a 20′ FCL container with compliant hazmat handling, proper stowage, sealing, and documentation. |
| Shipping | Lithium Methoxide Liquid is typically shipped as UN3274, Alcoholates, n.o.s. (Lithium methoxide, Methanol), Class 3 flammable liquid with corrosive subsidiary risk, PG II. Use UN-approved packaging, correct labels, SDS, and transport documents. Comply with DOT/IATA/IMDG rules; avoid heat, ignition, water, acids, and oxidizers. |
| Storage | Store Lithium Methoxide Liquid in a cool, dry, well-ventilated, fire-safe area away from ignition sources, water, moisture, acids, oxidizing agents, and incompatible materials. Keep containers tightly closed under inert gas, upright, and corrosion-resistant. Use secondary containment, grounding/bonding, and proper labels. Protect from heat, direct sunlight, and physical damage; follow SDS and local regulations. |
| Shelf Life | Lithium Methoxide Liquid typically has a 12-month shelf life when kept sealed, cool, dry, and under inert gas. |
In multi-feedstock biodiesel trains processing palm stearin, used cooking oil methyl ester (UCOME), or tallow, lithium methoxide liquid, typically supplied as a 10 wt% methanolic solution, is metered into a high-shear recirculation loop after vacuum drying at <50 mbar absolute and <100 ppm residual moisture. The injection point is positioned downstream of the polish filter and upstream of a plug-flow reactor, preventing localized over-alkalinity and reducing soap saponification losses in the crude fatty acid methyl ester phase. Because lithium methoxide solution has a higher viscosity than sodium methoxide solution at storage temperatures below 15 °C, flow control relies on diaphragm metering pumps with stroke-length feedback and temperature-compensated density correction. Typical addition rates observed on continuous 100,000 t/yr lines fall in the range of 0.6–1.2 wt% of the 10 wt% solution relative to dry oil, corresponding to 0.06–0.12 wt% active lithium methoxide, when free fatty acid is below 0.1 wt% and moisture is below 500 mg/kg. Transesterification proceeds at 60–65 °C with a methanol-to-oil molar ratio of 6:1 in a two-stage static-mixer reactor cascade with a combined residence time of 45–60 min. Phase separation then occurs in disc-stack centrifuges at 4,000–5,000 rpm, followed by glycerol decantation, double water washing at 10–15 vol% water, and vacuum distillation at 120–130 °C and 50–100 mbar absolute. Compliance with EN 14214:2012+A2:2019 and ASTM D6751-23a is verified through EN 14103 for total FAME, EN 14104 for acid number, ISO 12937 for water content, and D6584 for free and total glycerin. The terminal product is road-fuel-grade FAME supplied as B100 or as a 7 vol% blend component under EN 590.
| Parameter | EN 14214:2012+A2:2019 | ASTM D6751-23a | Test method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total FAME | min 96.5% | — | EN 14103 |
| Water and sediment | max 500 mg/kg water | max 0.050 vol% | ISO 12937 / D2709 |
| Acid number | max 0.50 mg KOH/g | max 0.50 mg KOH/g | EN 14104 / D664 |
| Oxidation stability | min 8.0 h | min 3.0 h | EN 14112 / EN 15751 |
Sol-gel lithiation of transition-metal ethoxide and propoxide matrices with lithium methoxide liquid is constrained primarily by the moisture tolerance of the hydrolysis step and by lithium inventory loss as Li₂O vapor during calcination. A stoichiometric Li/M molar ratio of 1.02–1.10 is charged, with the upper bound required for open-air calcination at 850–950 °C and the lower bound used in tube furnaces under dry oxygen flow. The precursor solution is prepared by adding methanolic lithium methoxide to a nickel-cobalt-manganese alkoxide mixture in anhydrous 2-methoxyethanol at a dry-room dew point below -40 °C. Hydrolysis is initiated with deionized water at an alkoxide-to-water molar ratio of 1:2.0–1:4.0. Gelation occurs in a 100-L double-planetary mixer with vacuum degassing at 20–30 mbar, after which the gel is dried in stainless steel trays at 120 °C for 12 h and calcined in a rotary calciner with alumina saggers under a 3 slpm oxygen flow. The resulting lithium transition-metal oxide powder is air classified and sieved through a 45 µm vibratory screen before cell manufacturing. The terminal products include LiNi₀.₈Mn₀.₁Co₀.₁O₂ (NMC811) and LiMn₂O₄ cathode powders for lithium-ion cells. Equipment behavior in continuous pilot campaigns has shown that the largest batch-to-batch variance arises from residual sodium and potassium in the methanolic lithium methoxide feed, which alters sintering density and primary particle growth. The material must not be combined with aqueous alkaline wash streams before complete hydrolysis because rapid lithium extraction from the gel network raises surface lithium carbonate content. Published data for this specific configuration is limited to internal battery-material supplier specifications, and operational boundaries should be re-established for each calciner geometry.
| Analyte | Maximum (mg/kg) | Analytical method |
|---|---|---|
| Sodium | 50 | ISO 11885:2007 |
| Potassium | 20 | ISO 11885:2007 |
| Iron | 10 | ISO 11885:2007 |
| Calcium | 30 | ISO 11885:2007 |
| Chloride | 30 | ISO 10304-1:2007 |
| Moisture | 500 | ISO 760:1978 |
A 316L jacketed reactor fitted with a retreat-curve agitator and an inert-gas purge is charged with the active methylene substrate, methanol, and lithium methoxide liquid at -10 °C to 5 °C. The base is added below the liquid surface over 2–4 h to limit exotherm and prevent localized enolate formation that would reduce regioselectivity in Claisen condensations, Dieckmann cyclizations, or Michael additions. The addition ratio is 1.05–1.20 molar equivalents relative to the limiting substrate, with the lower bound applied to water-free substrates and the upper bound reserved for esters with 0.05–0.10 wt% water. After substrate conversion is monitored by in-process HPLC to ≥98.0 area%, the reaction is quenched with acetic acid to pH 6.5–7.0, diluted with purified water, and crystallized at 0–5 °C over 4–6 h. The isolated solids are washed, centrifuged, and vacuum dried at 40 °C and 10–20 mbar. Compliance is anchored to ICH Q3C(R8) for methanol as a Class 2 residual solvent with a permitted daily exposure of 30 mg/day and concentration limit of 3,000 ppm, USP <467> for residual solvents, EU GMP Part II for active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacture, and FDA 21 CFR 210/211 for current good manufacturing practice. Because lithium methoxide is incompatible with primary or secondary amine additives, campaigns using amine bases must be separated by full reactor cleaning to avoid premature proton transfer and selective loss of the methoxide counterion. The terminal products are non-hygroscopic heterocyclic pharmaceutical intermediates, including ester-protected chiral building blocks and substituted pyrazoles for downstream drug substance synthesis.
Directly after hydrolysis and gelation of a garnet-type Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂ precursor, the lithium excess in the formulated sol is the primary lever for compensating Li₂O volatilization at sintering temperatures above 700 °C. Lithium methoxide liquid is combined with zirconium n-propoxide and lanthanum nitrate hexahydrate in a mixed methanol/ethylene glycol solvent system at a controlled Li⁺ excess of 10–25 mol% relative to the stoichiometric 7 Li per formula unit. The sol is deposited on polyethylene oxide-stabilized green substrates by dip coating at a withdrawal speed of 1–3 mm/s or by spin coating at 3,000 rpm for 30 s, then dried at 120 °C, pyrolyzed at 400 °C for 30 min, and annealed at 700–750 °C under oxygen for 2 h. Ionic conductivity is measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in blocking-electrode Swagelok cells using a Biologic VSP-300 potentiostat over a frequency range of 1 Hz–1 MHz with an AC amplitude of 10 mV; the acceptance threshold for a dense electrolyte layer is ≥0.1 mS/cm at 25 °C. Cell-level compatibility is evaluated according to IEC 62660-1:2020 when the membrane is assembled into a lithium metal pouch cell. The terminal product is a dense garnet-type ceramic membrane for solid-state lithium metal cells. Relative humidity during sol preparation must be maintained below 30% RH; higher humidity triggers premature hydrolysis of both methoxide and transition-metal alkoxide precursors, causing gelation in the feed lines and slot-die clogging.
In bulk polymerization of ε-caprolactone and L-lactide, lithium methoxide liquid functions as a ring-opening initiator through nucleophilic attack of the methoxide oxygen on the carbonyl carbon, generating methyl ester end groups and propagating alkoxide chain ends. The catalyst solution is injected into a 250-L stainless steel reactor containing monomer previously dried at 60 °C under 10–20 mbar until moisture is below 50 ppm. The initiator concentration is 0.05–0.15 mol% relative to monomer; increasing loading above 0.20 mol% reduces number-average molar mass but accelerates chain transfer, resulting in a pronounced broadening of the molecular weight distribution. Polymerization is conducted at 130–150 °C under a nitrogen sweep for 12–24 h, after which residual monomer is stripped at 150 °C and 5 mbar for 2 h. Molecular weight and dispersity are tracked by gel permeation chromatography against polystyrene standards using ISO 16014-1:2019; target number-average molar mass for injection-molding-grade polycaprolactone is 50,000–80,000 g/mol. Compliance for medical-grade material is anchored to ISO 10993-1:2018 for biological evaluation, EN ISO 13485:2016 for quality management, and USP Class VI for polymer leachables. The terminal product is poly(ε-caprolactone) pellets for implantable sutures, sustained-release drug matrices, and melt-blown tissue scaffolds. Lithium methoxide provides faster initiation than tin(II) octoate at equivalent molar loading but requires complete exclusion of atmospheric moisture because hydrolysis of the propagating lithium alkoxide terminates chain growth and increases the concentration of low-molar-mass monofunctional species.
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Lithium methoxide liquid is a single-phase methanolic solution of lithium methoxide, CAS 865-34-9, in methanol, CAS 67-56-1. The standard commercial grade contains 10 wt% lithium methoxide, and a 12 wt% grade is available from some producers for processes in which additional methanol solvent must be limited. No harmonized product-model nomenclature exists across the supplier base; certificates of analysis typically identify the material as “LiOMe in methanol” and state the active concentration. The liquid is water-white to pale yellow, and its physical hazards are dominated by methanol: closed-cup flash point is 11–12 °C by ASTM D56, and the solution is classified as flammable liquid category 2 under GHS H225. The product is moisture- and carbon dioxide-sensitive. Hydrolysis yields lithium hydroxide and methanol; carbonation yields lithium carbonate, which is sparingly soluble in methanol and can form a fine precipitate that changes turbidity and may clog downstream filtration equipment. Because lithium methoxide is a strong base, the solution reacts exothermically with acidic compounds and must never be charged into water-containing vessels.
Production of the liquid often involves direct reaction of lithium metal or lithium hydride with anhydrous methanol in jacketed stainless steel reactors. The lithium metal route generates hydrogen gas and requires explosion-proof venting and nitrogen inerting. The resulting alkoxide solution is filtered through 1–5 µm cartridge filters and adjusted to the target concentration before packaging. In production-scale handling, the principal batch-to-batch variation is residual water and carbonate content. If water exceeds 0.5 wt%, lithium hydroxide forms and the solution may become turbid; in 1000 L stainless steel storage tanks, carbon dioxide ingress can produce lithium carbonate sediment at the bottom outlet and increase differential pressure during transfer. Packaging is typically performed in 200 L stainless steel drums or 1000 L intermediate bulk containers with nitrogen headspace.
Lithium methoxide has a lower solubility in methanol than sodium or potassium methoxide. The lithium cation radius is 76 pm, compared with 102 pm for sodium and 138 pm for potassium. The smaller lithium cation has a higher charge density and favours contact ion pairing with the methoxide anion, which reduces the amount of free methoxide available for base-catalysed reactions. Consequently, a practical concentration ceiling is approximately 10 wt% to 12 wt% for lithium methoxide at 20 °C, whereas sodium methoxide is regularly handled at 25–30 wt% and potassium methoxide at 32–40 wt%. The molar masses of the methoxide salts are 37.975 g/mol for lithium methoxide, 54.024 g/mol for sodium methoxide, and 70.132 g/mol for potassium methoxide. On an equal-mass basis, a 10 wt% lithium methoxide solution contains one mole of lithium methoxide per 379.75 g of solution, which corresponds to a lithium methoxide concentration of approximately 2.63 mol/kg solution. This concentration is lower than the molar concentration of a 30 wt% sodium methoxide solution, which contains approximately 5.55 mol/kg solution. The concentration gap is central to the differences in process design: a lithium methoxide charge introduces more methanol per mole of active alkoxide and often requires reformulation of solvent balances in continuous units.
The reactivity difference is not simply a pH effect. Under the same molar basis, the smaller lithium cation forms tighter ion pairs, which lowers the concentration of free methoxide ion in methanol. In practice, this can reduce the rate of base-catalysed transesterification and enolate formation relative to sodium methoxide. However, the lithium cation also coordinates to oxygen atoms and can alter transition-state geometry in anhydrous organic reactions, which may be exploited where selectivity rather than maximum reaction rate is the controlling parameter. Published data comparing lithium methoxide and sodium methoxide in fully formulated industrial transesterification have shown that process adjustments are needed; however, published data for this specific configuration is limited across all feedstock classes. Compared with magnesium methoxide or calcium methoxide, lithium methoxide liquid remains a homogenous monovalent alkoxide solution; magnesium methoxide has much lower solubility in methanol and is often used as a solid slurry. The handling of a true solution is simpler for continuous dosing, but lithium methoxide is more expensive per mole than sodium methoxide, so material selection depends on cation-specific selectivity and downstream purity requirements.
| Parameter | Lithium methoxide | Sodium methoxide | Potassium methoxide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical active concentration | 10 wt%, some 12 wt% | 25–30 wt% | 32–40 wt% |
| Molar mass of methoxide | 37.975 g/mol | 54.024 g/mol | 70.132 g/mol |
| Cation ionic radius | 76 pm | 102 pm | 138 pm |
| Solution density at 20 °C | 0.81–0.83 g/cm³ | published data for this specific configuration is limited | published data for this specific configuration is limited |
The specification envelope for a representative 10 wt% lithium methoxide liquid is shown in the following table. The values are typical release limits rather than absolute product definitions, and the certificate of analysis remains the controlling document. Water content is the most operationally significant non-volatile impurity because it consumes alkoxide and generates lithium hydroxide. A limit of ≤0.5 wt% by ASTM E203 is therefore specified for applications requiring stable base strength. Density at 20 °C is 0.81–0.83 g/cm³ by ASTM D4052, and kinematic viscosity at 20 °C is 0.7–1.0 mm²/s by ASTM D445. The low viscosity allows transfer with magnetic-drive centrifugal pumps and filtration through fine-mesh stainless steel or PTFE filters. The flash point of 11–12 °C by ASTM D56 places the solution in the same flammable-liquid handling class as methanol; therefore, area electrical classification, bonding, and grounding must follow the requirements for methanol service.
| Property | Typical range or limit | Reference method |
|---|---|---|
| Lithium methoxide content | 9.5–10.5 wt% | acid-base titration |
| Methanol content | 89.0–91.0 wt% | gas chromatography |
| Water content | ≤0.5 wt% | ASTM E203 |
| Density at 20 °C | 0.81–0.83 g/cm³ | ASTM D4052 |
| Kinematic viscosity at 20 °C | 0.7–1.0 mm²/s | ASTM D445 |
| Flash point closed cup | 11–12 °C | ASTM D56 |
| Sodium content | ≤0.1 wt% | ICP-OES |
| Chloride content | ≤0.05 wt% | ion chromatography |
Trace sodium and chloride are controlled because they influence downstream product quality. Sodium content ≤0.1 wt% is a typical limit where the solution is used as a precursor for lithium salts or battery-grade lithium chemicals. Chloride ≤0.05 wt% is relevant for pharmaceutical and catalyst applications. Because the solution is hygroscopic, the sampling procedure can bias water results; samples should be taken under dry nitrogen using a closed-loop syringe or dip tube. The methanol solvent contributes a vapour pressure of 13.02 kPa at 20 °C, so open sampling cannot be used without local exhaust ventilation and LEL monitoring.
In triglyceride transesterification, methanolic lithium methoxide can be substituted for sodium methoxide, but the lower active concentration and tighter cation pairing change the process envelope. A base-catalysed methanolysis unit that normally charges a 30 wt% sodium methoxide solution at 0.5–1.0 wt% of oil mass must be rebalanced when a 10 wt% lithium methoxide solution is used. Because the lithium solution contains one-third the active alkali mass per kilogram, the same catalyst charge requires approximately three times the solution mass. This introduces additional methanol and requires a reduction in the separate methanol feed to maintain the target methanol-to-oil molar ratio. The use of a 6:1 methanol-to-oil molar ratio is common for sodium methoxide; however, published data for the optimum ratio with lithium methoxide is limited, and operators often start from the sodium methoxide condition while maintaining the same total methanol charge.
Feedstock quality boundaries are similar to those for sodium methoxide. Free fatty acid content should be below 0.5 wt% or an acid value below 1.0 mg KOH/g by ASTM D664; if this limit is exceeded, lithium soap formation consumes the catalyst and increases the viscosity of the reactor mixture. Water in the feedstock must be below 0.1 wt% to prevent reversible hydrolysis of the methoxide. In a continuous tubular reactor with static mixers containing 10–20 elements, lithium methoxide solution is injected downstream of the methanol preheater and upstream of the first static mixer. The low solution viscosity gives adequate dispersion at superficial liquid velocities of 0.3–0.5 m/s, but the reactor residence time may need to be extended relative to sodium methoxide because of the lower concentration of free methoxide. Process data from 500 L/h pilot units indicate that stable phase separation after glycerol settling requires complete methanol recovery and salt removal; published data for this specific configuration is limited for lithium-specific continuous units at scale.
Lithium methoxide liquid is also used as an anhydrous base and methoxide transfer reagent in organic synthesis. In enolate formation, the lithium cation can promote aggregation of the enolate intermediate and shift regioselectivity in alkylation of unsymmetrical ketones. Lithium methoxide is a useful initiator for ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone and related cyclic esters when a lithium counterion is desired. The liquid form simplifies dosing in glovebox and sealed reactor systems because it avoids the dust exposure and static-charge issues of the solid powder. A typical laboratory-scale reaction uses a flame-dried glass reactor under argon, but production-scale systems use 316L stainless steel with PTFE dip tubes and mass-flow-controlled nitrogen. The solution should be added slowly to the substrate because the proton-transfer reaction can be exothermic. The reaction temperature is often maintained below 40 °C during enolate formation, followed by addition of the alkylating agent at 0–10 °C to control diastereoselectivity. Published data for the specific stereoinduction values varies by substrate and is outside the compass of this product description.
In alkoxide-based sol-gel processing, lithium methoxide liquid serves as a lithium precursor for mixed-metal oxides such as lithium niobate and lithium tantalate. The methanolic solution can be mixed with niobium or tantalum alkoxides under anhydrous conditions to form a homogeneous precursor sol. Because hydrolytic sensitivity is high, the addition of water to the sol must be controlled with a defined hydrolysis ratio; rapid hydrolysis can produce lithium hydroxide phases and phase separation before film deposition. A typical processing boundary is to dilute the solution with dry methanol and add water as a dilute solution in methanol at a rate below 0.1 mol water per mol alkoxide per minute to avoid local precipitation. After spin coating or dip coating, the resulting amorphous film is annealed above 500 °C to form the crystalline oxide phase. Published data for this specific configuration is limited for production-scale coating lines; laboratory studies document the general route.
Storage and handling boundaries for lithium methoxide liquid follow the methanol hazard profile but add moisture-exclusion and carbon dioxide-exclusion requirements. The solution should be stored in sealed 316L stainless steel or high-density polyethylene containers under 0.1–0.3 bar nitrogen pressure. Bulk tanks should be equipped with pressure-vacuum relief valves, dry nitrogen pads, and conductivity probes to detect water ingress. Transfer lines should be stainless steel or PTFE-lined and should be dried and nitrogen-purged before use. The material is incompatible with acids, acid chlorides, anhydrides, water, aqueous solutions, strong oxidizing agents, and chlorinated solvents that can undergo base-promoted dehydrochlorination. Methanol vapour exposure must be controlled to the OSHA permissible exposure limit of 200 ppm 8-hour time-weighted average under 29 CFR 1910.1000 Table Z-1; the NIOSH recommended exposure limit is also 200 ppm as a time-weighted average, with a short-term exposure limit of 250 ppm. Local exhaust ventilation and continuous lower-explosive-limit monitoring are required in process areas. Because the closed-cup flash point is 11–12 °C, electrical equipment must meet the classification for a Class I, Division 1 or Zone 1 hazardous location under the applicable national electrical code. If the solution has been exposed to air for more than a few minutes, it should not be returned to a sealed storage vessel without filtration and water/carbonate analysis because the resulting precipitate can block downstream static mixers and pump seals.
