[Limpet Chicken]

Anyone know of any OTC sources in the UK that use rubidium or cesium salts/hydroxides, I am in need of a source of both elements

Thanx all

[jdurg]

RbOH and CsOH are INCREDIBLY strong bases.  Both of them will attack glass, CsOH moreso than the rubidium version.  I will also warn that they are very expensive and you will not be able to isolate the metals from their salts.  Both of them will react violently with the slightest hint of moisture in the air, and Cs will catch fire immediately if exposed to the atmosphere.  Unless you have a high quality chemistry lab at your disposal, you have almost no shot at isolating the metals.  (Now if you just want the metals, check out my link to Juergen Bauer's website in the links section.  He sells rubidium and cesium metal).

[Limpet Chicken]

I know about the dangers of the hydroxides, I stand maybe little chance of isolating Rb or Cs, but i stand absolutely ZERO chance of ordering any, unless anyone knows of a UK supplier that takes solo card, because I have no other means of buying from a site unless it takes solo, and hardly ANY sites do  

And besides, I am the type that would rather MAKE everything myself than just buy it

[Mitch]

You can get cesium in the UK from this distributor. http://www.element-collection.com/html/samples.html

Tell them The Chemical Forums sent ya.

[jdurg]

Another thing I have to reiterate for the sake of safety is the intense reactivity of Rb and Cs.  I cannot stress enough just how violently reactive these metals are.  Sodium and Potassium, which I'm sure you've seen react, look like nothing compared to Rb and Cs.  Both of them will violently explode upon contact with water, liberating and igniting the hydrogen gas, spraying very caustic hydroxides all over the place, and shattering whatever container the reaction is performed in.  Even the moisture and oxygen in the air are enough to set them off and cause them to catch fire and explode.  I just want to be sure that you know what you're getting into.  It's fantastic that you have such a strong interest in chemistry, but we can't afford to have someone like you get hurt because of a little bit of overzealousness.  

[Limpet Chicken]

Don't worry, I am well aware of the reactivity or Rb and Cs, if I ever actually wanted to use them in a reaction, I would probably do it in an atmosphere of argon that has been dried for about a month each with both NaOH and phosphoric anhydride

Is it the hyroxides or Cs and Rb or the alkoxides that are the stronger bases btw?

[jdurg]

Everywhere I've looked, CsOH is listed as the strongest base known to man.  Sadly, not a whole lot of research is done on cesium and rubidium.  

[movies]

By analogy the alkoxides would be stronger bases than the hydroxides.  Take potassium t-butoxide vs. KOH, for example.  The t-butoxide is quite a bit more powerful.

CsOH can't be as strong a base as an alkyllithium bases, can it?

[Limpet Chicken]

I really wouldn't want to be around an alkylcesium base then OWWWCH, I can imagine it's the sort of stuff you want to treat pretty much like liquid anydrous HF (I.E with great care)