Is it possible to ionise a solid, so that it has no electrons left?

[Josiah]

TL;DR Summary

I was just wondering about the ionisation of solids.

Hi, is it possible to ionise a solid, so that it has no electrons left?
Josiah

 

[DrClaude]

TL;DR Summary: I was just wondering about the ionisation of solids.

Hi, is it possible to ionise a solid, so that it has no electrons left?
Josiah

What would hold the atoms (nuclei) together?

Remove too many electrons and the remaining ions will fly apart (for instance by stripping away electrons using laser fields, see e.g., Coulomb explosion).

 

[Baluncore]

Hi, is it possible to ionise a solid, so that it has no electrons left?

Yes, but only at the surface of insulators. UV light ionises atoms and molecules on the surface of dry plastic polymers. Those particles are then ejected from the solid by the positive nuclear charge because the bonds have been removed. Keeping the surface of a plastic wet transports electrons to ionised sites before the local damage can eject a particle.

No, for conductive materials. Metals will remain intact because they share an internal cloud of free electrons. The positive charged solid attracts or scavenges any stray electrons that may come nearby, then shares them out to where they are needed.

 

[Vanadium 50]

What would hold the atoms (nuclei) together?

Um, the sound of the kaboom?