Addition Of Metal Salts Research Articles

Drop-Cast Hybrid Poly(styrene)-b-Poly(ethylene oxide) Metal Salt Films: Solvent Evaporation and Crystallinity-Dependent Evolution of Film Morphology.

Morphology templates of solution-based diblock copolymer (DBC) films with loading metal salts are widely applied in photocatalysts, photovoltaics, and sensors due to their adjustable characteristics based on surface (de-)wetting and microphase separation. The present work investigates the morphologies of drop-cast hybrid films based on poly(styrene)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) and the metal salts titanium isopropoxide (TTIP) and zinc acetate dehydrate (ZAD) in comparison to the pure DBC. By utilizing scanning electron microscopy, grazing-incidence small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering, and differential scanning calorimetry, we find that the resulting film morphologies depend not only on the presence of metal salts but also on solvent evaporation and crystalline formation. At 20 °C, additional TTIP and ZAD in the polymer template cause the morphology to change from packed globular structures to separated wormlike structures attributed to the changed polymer environment. Furthermore, additional tetrahydrofuran causes irregular structures at the precursor film part and the overlapped wormlike structures to transition into close-packed globular structures at the cap film parts of the pure DBC. In contrast, at 50 °C, the globular structures transit to fingerprint patterns due to the thermal behavior of the crystallizable PEO blocks, and the metal salt additives suppress crystalline structure formation in the PEO domains.

The Impact of Adding a Cationic Metal Salt and Curcumin to Monoammonium Glycyrrhizic Acid on Its Solubilizing Capacity and Gelation.

Monoammonium glycyrrhizic acid (MAG), a glycyrrhizic acid monoammonium salt, is a naturally derived low-molecular-weight gelling agent with surface-active properties. It has the capacity to individually facilitate the preparation of gel-solubilized drugs. As MAG is an anionic surfactant with carboxyl groups, the addition of counterions may affect micelle formation and gelation. In this study, the solubilization and gelling properties of MAG were investigated following the addition of metal salts (NaCl and KCl). The addition of metal salts resulted in a decrease in the critical micelle concentration and an increase in gel hardness. Supersaturation of curcumin (CUR) was maintained by the addition of metal salts because of increased micelle number and viscosity. When the gel hardness was compared between formulations with and without CUR, a significant reduction in hardness was observed with the solubilization of CUR. The addition of KCl prevented the decrease in the hardness of gels containing CUR compared to the addition of NaCl. Put together, the addition of metal salts had a noteworthy impact on micelle and gel formation of MAG. In particular, the addition of KCl was more effective in the preparation of gel-solubilized CUR.

Effect of doping of metal salts on polymers and their applications in various fields

Abstract Transition metal compounds (TMCs) provide the benefits of vast reserves, affordability, non-toxicity, and environmental friendliness, making them highly sought-after in recent times. Integrating transition metal salts into polymers may result in substantial enhancements in optical and electrical characteristics, making them appealing for many applications. Transition metal ions may display a range of electronic transitions, which enables the adjustment of absorption and emission spectra. This characteristic has significant value in applications such as light-emitting devices (LEDs) and sensors. The photoluminescence of polymers may be improved by the addition of transition metal salts, which results in light emission that is both more brilliant and more efficient. On the other hand, this is advantageous for screens and optoelectronic devices. The presence of transition metal salts in polymers may help to improve their optical stability, hence lowering the probability that the polymers will degrade or change color over time. When it comes to the performance of optical devices over the long run, this is quite essential. Elevating the electrical conductivity of polymers is possible via the use of transition metal salts. This is very helpful in the process of developing conductive polymers for use in applications such as electronic fabrics, organic solar cells, and flexible electronic devices. Transition metal salts can affect the electrical band structure of polymers, which enables the band gap of the material to be tuned. This is very necessary in order to maximize the amount of light that is absorbed by photovoltaic devices. Through having all these benefits, we conducted a review to find out the effects on polymeric materials.

Fe(II)Cl2 amendment suppresses pond methane emissions by stimulating iron-dependent anaerobic oxidation of methane.

Aquatic ecosystems are large contributors to global methane (CH4) emissions. Eutrophication significantly enhances CH4-production as it stimulates methanogenesis. Mitigation measures aimed at reducing eutrophication, such as the addition of metal salts to immobilize phosphate (PO43-), are now common practice. However, the effects of such remedies on methanogenic and methanotrophic communities-and therefore on CH4-cycling-remain largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that Fe(II)Cl2 addition, used as PO43- binder, differentially affected microbial CH4 cycling-processes in field experiments and batch incubations. In the field experiments, carried out in enclosures in a eutrophic pond, Fe(II)Cl2 application lowered in-situ CH4 emissions by lowering net CH4-production, while sediment aerobic CH4-oxidation rates-as found in batch incubations of sediment from the enclosures-did not differ from control. In Fe(II)Cl2-treated sediments, a decrease in net CH4-production rates could be attributed to the stimulation of iron-dependent anaerobic CH4-oxidation (Fe-AOM). In batch incubations, anaerobic CH4-oxidation and Fe(II)-production started immediately after CH4 addition, indicating Fe-AOM, likely enabled by favorable indigenous iron cycling conditions and the present methanotroph community in the pond sediment. 16S rRNA sequencing data confirmed the presence of anaerobic CH4-oxidizing archaea and both iron-reducing and iron-oxidizing bacteria in the tested sediments. Thus, besides combatting eutrophication, Fe(II)Cl2 application can mitigate CH4 emissions by reducing microbial net CH4-production and stimulating Fe-AOM.

Effect of alkali metal salt addition on disintegration of titania particles precipitated from tetraethyl orthotitanate in ethanol

AbstractInline (or in situ) photon density wave spectroscopy was used to monitor the disintegration of secondary titania particles into their primary particles. Photon density wave spectroscopy can be applied to determine the reduced scattering coefficient of a dispersion without dilution or calibration, and thus enables process analysis in materials that are usually unsuitable for established particle characterization techniques. In this work, amorphous titania particles were precipitated from tetraethyl orthotitanate in ethanol by addition of water in presence of different alkali metal salts (NaCl, KCl, CsCl, K2SO4) with concentrations between 0 and 1.6 mM. The present results suggest that the synthesized titania secondary particles disintegrate into their primary particles if the electrostatic repulsion between the primary particles is promoted. This can be achieved by an increased alkali chloride concentration in the synthesis or by addition of larger alkali metal ions. In contrast, the particles are only weakly charged upon addition of sulfate ions, and the disintegration stops. The conclusions drawn from photon density wave spectroscopy results are supported by gravimetric determination of the particle yield, dynamic light scattering measurements, zeta‐potential measurements, and electron micrographs. Additionally, the disintegration was driven to completion by addition of hydrochloric acid to create a transparent suspension of titania primary particles as small as 4.7 nm.

Anomalous Increase in Double Layer Capacitance in Ionic Liquid-Metal Salt Blends

Supercapacitors provide exiting opportunities for the future of energy storage due to a combination of fast charge-discharge kinetics, high safety, and long device lifetimes. Yet, current supercapacitors have energy densities that are orders of magnitude lower than those of lithium-ion batteries, relegating them to niche uses such as regenerative braking systems. While ionic liquids have shown promise as next generation electrolytes in supercapacitors due to their nonflammable nature, large electrochemical stability window, and predicted large capacitances, neat ionic liquids have capacitances ranging from 5 to 20 µFcm-2 which does not compete with current supercapacitors made with cheaper electrolytes. In this talk, I will discuss how we have substantially increased the capacitance of ionic liquid-electrode interfaces though the addition of metal salt additives containing Li, Na, K, and Mg ions. We maintain the large voltage window while increasing the capacitance to up to 80 µFcm-2 at both positive and negative polarizations of gold electrodes. By conducting complementary surface structuring studies, we elucidate molecular assembly at charged surfaces to understand ion behavior when only surrounded by other ions in solution. We hypothesize that the introduction of metal salts interrupts ion aggregates that exist in concentrated electrolytes, reducing the screening lengths in ionic liquids and thus increasing capacitance. Overall, our study demonstrates that ionic liquids may have transformative promise for next-generation supercapacitors, and highlights new paradigms for tuning interfacial properties via modulation of ion coordination in concentrated electrolytes.

Study on Microstructure and Corrosion Properties of Ag-Ni-Co Alloy Electrodeposited in Low Eutectic Solvent

The Ag-Ni-Co alloy coating is prepared in the low eutectic solvent system by pulsed power supply technology. Infrared spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry are used to confirm that the addition of metal salts does not change the low eutectic solvent system. When the current density is 1 A/dm2 and the plating time is 40 min, the plating grain is mainly spherical; the coating is uniform and dense. After testing, the surface-specific resistance of the plating is only 1.295 mΩ·cm2, the microhardness reaches 214.8 HV, and the wear rate reaches 3.1. The corrosion resistance of the plating and the substrate is analyzed by a combination of macroscopic electrochemistry and microarea electrochemistry, and the results show that the corrosion potential of the plating reaches −0.141 V, and the corrosion current density reaches 1.299 × 10−7 A/cm2. The corrosion resistance of the plating is much greater than that of the substrate.

Can Metal Cations Electrocatalyze Sulfur Redox Reaction and Suppress Polysulfide Shuttle?

AbstractIn lithium‐sulfur (Li−S) batteries, sulfur undergoes various changes. It switches between cyclic structure and linear structure. The charge on the sulfur varies between a neutral state and a negative charge‐bearing state. Due to these changes, the sulfur/polysulfide dissolves in the battery electrolyte. Furthermore, the kinetics of the sulfur redox reaction is sluggish. Therefore, a material that can suppress sulfur/polysulfide dissolution and electrocatalyze sulfur redox reaction is needed. We hypothesize that the polysulfide dissolution can be suppressed if the host exhibits polyvalent electrostatic attraction. Polysulfide is a negative charge‐bearing molecule; hence the host must comprise multiple positive charges. Nickel cations with other heteroatoms have been explored as a host in Li−S batteries. The heteroatoms impart additional interactions. The easier way to circumvent the effect of heteroatoms is the addition of metal salts. However, metal salts can either exhibit monovalent or divalent attraction with polysulfides. Those interactions are weak and we must have polyvalent interaction. Towards this objective, we have designed and synthesized a material that comprises multiple divalent cations that is also devoid of heteroatoms. The Li−S batteries fabricated using the metal cation immobilized graphene showed a maximum specific capacity of 1022 mAh/g at 0.1 C rate. Among the metal cations, nickel cations showed better performance than cobalt cations. Thus, we demonstrate that metal cations immobilized on Graphene can efficiently electrocatalyze the sluggish sulfur redox reaction and suppress the polysulfide dissolution.

Deep Eutectic Solvents: Properties and Applications in CO2 Separation.

Nowadays, many researchers are focused on finding a solution to the problem of global warming. Carbon dioxide is considered to be responsible for the "greenhouse" effect. The largest global emission of industrial CO2 comes from fossil fuel combustion, which makes power plants the perfect point source targets for immediate CO2 emission reductions. A state-of-the-art method for capturing carbon dioxide is chemical absorption using an aqueous solution of alkanolamines, most frequently a 30% wt. solution of monoethanolamine (MEA). Unfortunately, the usage of alkanolamines has a number of drawbacks, such as the corrosive nature of the reaction environment, the loss of the solvent due to its volatility, and a high energy demand at the regeneration step. These problems have driven the search for alternatives to that method, and deep eutectic solvents (DESs) might be a very good substitute. Many types of DESs have thus far been investigated for efficient CO2 capture, and various hydrogen bond donors and acceptors have been used. Deep eutectic solvents that are capable of absorbing carbon dioxide physically and chemically have been reported. Strategies for further CO2 absorption improvement, such as the addition of water, other co-solvents, or metal salts, have been proposed. Within this review, the physical properties of DESs are presented, and their effects on CO2 absorption capacity are discussed in conjunction with the types of HBAs and HBDs and their molar ratios. The practical issues of using DESs for CO2 separation are also described.

A Raman Study on the Speciation of Different Metal Ions in an AlCl3–Based Ionic Liquid

The speciation of Cr, Zn and Sn in AlCl3/1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride containing CrCl2, ZnCl2 and SnCl2, respectively, has been studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV), Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Addition of the respective metal salt causes the current waves in the CV to decrease, indicating a reaction of the metal salts with Al2Cl7 −. Compared to the neat electrolyte, the Raman peaks of Al2Cl7 − decrease while the AlCl4 − peak increases in intensity, broadens and shifts towards lower wavenumbers. Calculated wavenumbers of metal complexes [Me(AlCl4)3]− reflect these observations. DFT calculations of the Gibbs free energies of formation, solvation and reaction support the formation of the proposed complexes. The central ions are coordinated by three bidentate AlCl4 − ligands that are arranged planar–trigonally. Due to the occupied Sn–5s orbital, repulsive forces cause a trigonal–pyramidal geometry in case of the Sn complex. Based on the similarities in the experimental observations and the orbital configuration of Zn2+ compared to Cr2+, the spontaneous formation of the species [Cr(AlCl4)3]− can be assumed.

Formation and Tandem Mass Spectrometry of Doubly Charged Lipid-Metal Ion Complexes.

Phospholipids are major components of most eukaryotic cell membranes. Changes in metabolic states are often accompanied by phospholipid structure variations. The structural changes of phospholipids are the hallmark of disease states, or specific lipid structures have been associated with distinct organisms. Prime examples are microorganisms that synthesize phospholipids with, for example, different branched chain fatty acids. Assignment and relative quantitation of structural isomers of phospholipids that arise from attachment of different fatty acids to the glycerophospholipid backbone are difficult with routine tandem mass spectrometry or with liquid chromatography without authentic standards. In this work, we report on the observation that all investigated phospholipid classes form doubly charged lipid-metal ion complexes during electrospray ionization (ESI) and show that these complexes can be used to assign lipid classes and fatty acid moieties, distinguish isomers of branched chain fatty acids, and relatively quantify these isomers in positive-ion mode. Use of water free methanol and addition of divalent metal salts (100 mol %) to ESI spray solutions afford highly abundant doubly charged lipid-metal ion complexes (up to 70 times of protonated compounds). Higher-energy collisional dissociation and collision-induced dissociation of doubly charged complexes yield a diverse set of lipid class-dependent fragment ions. In common for all lipid classes is the liberation of fatty acid-metal adducts that yield fragment ions from the fatty acid hydrocarbon chain upon activation. This ability is used to pinpoint sites of branching in saturated fatty acids and is showcased for free fatty acids as well as glycerophospholipids. The analytical utility of doubly charged phospholipid-metal ion complexes is demonstrated by distinguishing fatty acid branching-site isomers in phospholipid mixtures and relatively quantifying the corresponding isomeric compounds.

REMOVAL OF SULPHUR-CONTAINING COMPOUNDS FROM THE DIESEL FRACTION BY EXTRACTION SYSTEMS BASED ON COORDINATING POLAR SOLVENTS AND METAL SALTS

The process of removing sulphur-containing compounds from the diesel fraction has been carried out and investigated. The systems based on coordinating polar solvents (DMF and DMSO) and metal salts (CuCl2, CoCl2, MnCl2, Mn(TFA)2, Cu(TFA)2) were used as extractants. It has been established that the presence of metal salts in extraction systems increases the degree of removal of sulphur-containing compounds from the diesel fraction from 11 to 49 % and reduces the content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by 33 %. It is assumed that the addition of metal salts to the solvent enhances its acceptor properties, which is manifested in the enhancement of its extractability.

Inhibitory effects of water mist containing alkali metal salts on hydrogen–natural gas diffusion flames

Fire extinguishing technologies of fine water mist containing additives have good application prospects. Additives that are efficient, nontoxic, nonpolluting, widely used, economical and reliable provide a reference for the application and promotion of fine water mist fire extinguishing systems containing alkali metal salts. In this paper, six potential alkali metal salt additives were selected: potassium carbonate (K2CO3), sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), potassium oxalate (K2C2O4·H2O), potassium acetate (CH3COOK), potassium chloride (KCl), and potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3); these additives were delivered into the fires as mists of their solutions at certain concentrations, the extinguishing time was recorded, and the minimum fire extinguishing concentration (MEC) of fine water mist containing alkali metal salt was tested by using a cup burner experimental apparatus. In addition, different types of alkali metal salts were compared to determine the anions and cations with better fire suppression performance levels. The suppression efficiencies of different ratios of additive packages for hydrogen-doped natural gas diffusion flames were studied to determine a specific ratio of additive packages. Based on the results of the experiment, in contrast to the pure water mist, the suppression efficiency of alkali metal salt greatly improved. The cation extinguishing ability was K+>Na+, and CO32- and CH3COO− were better than other anions in alkali metal salts. An efficient compound additive was identified as 1.5% K2CO3 + 0.5% CH3COOK. With increasing hydrogen addition, the MEC of fine water mist with additives increased.

Dipeptide mimetics of nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor, GK-2 and GSB-106 and their cytoprotective properties in the model of oxidative stress

Relevance. At the V.V. Zakusov Research Institute of Pharmacology. Zakusov dimeric dipeptide mimetics of nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), GK-2 and GSB-106, respectively, were created. GK-2 and GSS-106 were found to be similar to the corresponding full-length neurotrophinsin their mechanism of action and pharmacological properties, including pronounced neuroprotective activity in vitro and in vivo. The aim of this work was to obtain additional data on the cytoprotective properties of GC-2 and GSB-106 using infusoria. Methods. Oxidative stress in Paramecium caudatum was simulated by addition of heavy metal salts (cadmium chloride, lead acetate, copper sulfate, zinc sulfate) to the medium in final concentration of 10 µM. GK-2 or GSB-106 in concentrations from 10-5 to 10-8 M were added to the medium with experimental cells 45 min before the application of oxidative stress initiator. Results. GK-2 and GSB-106 dipeptides in all studied concentrations protected cells from cell death. The maximum neuroprotective effect was shown by dipeptides in concentration of 10-8 M, thus preventing the infusoria death. Conclusion. GK-2 and GSB-106 at a concentration of 10-8 M fully protect Paramecium caudatum from death under oxidative stress induced by heavy metals.

Direct Conversion of Low-Concentration CO2 into N-Aryl and N-Alkyl Carbamic Acid Esters Using Tetramethyl Orthosilicate with Amidines as a CO2 Capture Agent and a Catalyst.

Herein, we report the direct conversion of low-concentration CO2 (15 vol %), equivalent to the CO2 concentration in the exhaust gas from a thermal power station, into carbamic acid esters (CAEs), which are precursors for pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and isocyanates. The reaction was performed using Si(OMe)4 as a nonmetallic regenerable reagent and 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene as a CO2 capture agent and catalyst. This reaction system does not require the addition of metal complex catalysts or metal salt additives and is therefore simpler than our previously reported reaction system involving Ti(OR)4 and a Zn(II) catalyst. A variety of N-aryl, N-alkyl, and bis CAEs (precursors of polyurethane raw materials) were obtained in moderate to high yields (45-77% for 6 examples, 84-89% for 7 examples). In addition, bis CAEs were successfully synthesized from simulated exhaust gas containing impurities such as SO2, NO2, and CO or on a gram scale. We believe that this method can eliminate the use of toxic phosgene as the raw material for isocyanate production and mitigate CO2 emissions.

Synthetic Control of Intrinsic Defect Formation in Metal Oxide Nanocrystals Using Dissociated Spectator Metal Salts.

Crystallographic defects are essential to the functional properties of semiconductors, controlling everything from conductivity to optical properties and catalytic activity. In nanocrystals, too, defect engineering with extrinsic dopants has been fruitful. Although intrinsic defects like vacancies can be equally useful, synthetic strategies for controlling their generation are comparatively underdeveloped. Here, we show that intrinsic defect concentration can be tuned during the synthesis of colloidal metal oxide nanocrystals by the addition of metal salts. Although not incorporated in the nanocrystals, the metal salts dissociate at high temperatures, promoting the dissociation of carboxylate ligands from metal precursors, leading to the introduction of oxygen vacancies. For example, the concentration of oxygen vacancies can be controlled up to 9% in indium oxide nanocrystals. This method is broadly applicable as we demonstrate by generating intrinsic defects in metal oxide nanocrystals of various morphologies and compositions.

Synthesis and Characterization of α-Al2O3/Ba-β-Al2O3 Spheres for Cadmium Ions Removal from Aqueous Solutions.

The search for adsorbent materials with a certain chemical inertness, mechanical resistance, and high adsorption capacity, as is the case with alumina, is carried out with structural or surface modifications with the addition of additives or metallic salts. This research shows the synthesis, characterization, phase evolution and Cd(II) adsorbent capacity of α-Al2O3/Ba-β-Al2O3 spheres obtained from α-Al2O3 nanopowders by the ion encapsulation method. The formation of the Ba-β-Al2O3 phase is manifested at 1500 °C according to the infrared spectrum by the appearance of bands corresponding to AlO4 bonds and the appearance of peaks corresponding to Ba-O bonds in Raman spectroscopy. XRD determined the presence of BaO·Al2O3 at 1000 °C and the formation of Ba-β-Al2O3 at 1600 °C. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the presence of spherical grains corresponding to α-Al2O3 and hexagonal plates corresponding to β-Al2O3 in the spheres treated at 1600 °C. The spheres obtained have dimensions of 4.65 ± 0.30 mm in diameter, weight of 43 ± 2 mg and a surface area of 0.66 m2/g. According to the curve of pH vs. zeta potential, the spheres have an acid character and a negative surface charge of −30 mV at pH 5. Through adsorption studies, an adsorbent capacity of Cd(II) of 59.97 mg/g (87 ppm Cd(II)) was determined at pH 5, and the data were fitted to the pseudo first order, pseudo second order and Freundlich models, with correlation factors of 0.993, 0.987 and 0.998, respectively.

Mechanism for One‐Pot Synthesis of 0D‐2D Carbon Materials in the Bubbles Inside Molten Salts

AbstractThe molten salts can be used as media for hydrocarbon pyrolysis owing to their excellent thermal properties, fluidity, and ease of products separation. The bubbling of hydrocarbon gases through the molten salts is an effective approach for exploiting the comprehensive advantages of the molten salts. However, the catalytic capability of the molten salts to crack CH bonds is lower than that of molten metals/alloys. Although the addition of transition metal salts into molten salts improves the catalytic performance, the catalytic mechanism is far from well understood. Herein, bubbling chemical vapor deposition (B‐CVD) for one‐pot synthesis of 0D (carbon black, CB)/2D (graphene, Gr) carbon materials in molten salt at 850 °C is developed. Spectroscopic results suggest that the ionic complexes of the transition metal (Cr, Fe, Ru, Ni, Pd, Cu) chloride are the active species to realize the efficient pyrolysis of methane (CH4). The confined space introduced by the bubble acts as a mini‐reactor to define the product morphology and accelerate the growth. Beneficial to the synergistic effect between ionic complex promotion and bubble confined space, the mass production of CB/Gr simultaneously with high efficiency and low cost at relatively low temperature is achieved.

Metal Nanoparticles on Lipophilic Nanographenes

AbstractUtilization of graphitic domains on nanographenes (NGs) for anchoring metal nanoparticles (NPs) can open the door for their applications in catalysis. Reported examples employ hydrophilic graphene oxides as substrates, making it difficult to coexist with organic substrates in organic solvents. The title NGs are metal NP‐doped lipophilic NGs (M‐NG1). Various metal cations form NPs with a diameter of a few to tens of nanometers on the basal plane. Owing to the lipophilic nature of NG1, M‐NG1 is prepared by the reduction of the basal plane with sodium in THF followed by the addition of metal salts. Au‐NPs on NG1 allow anchoring an organic thiol carrying an anthracene fluorophore, which is a proof of concept of composite materials utilizing the surface of NGs. The assessment of the catalytic function of Pd‐NG1 reveals that chlorobenzene and bromobenzene yield a coupling product, and fluorobenzene also undergoes the reactions, demonstrating the catalytic function of Pd‐NG1.

Calcium Determines Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Intraspecies Competitive Fitness.

ABSTRACTThe importance of individual nutrients for microbial strain robustness and coexistence in habitats containing different members of the same species is not well understood. To address this for Lactiplantibacillus plantarum in food fermentations, we performed comparative genomics and examined the nutritive requirements and competitive fitness for L. plantarum strains B1.1 and B1.3 isolated from a single sample of teff injera fermentation batter. Compared to B1.1 and other L. plantarum strains, B1.3 has a smaller genome, limited biosynthetic capacities, and large mobilome. Despite these differences, B1.3 was equally competitive with B1.1 in a suspension of teff flour. In commercially sourced, nutrient-replete MRS (cMRS) medium, strain B1.3 reached 3-fold-higher numbers than B1.1 within 2 days of passage. Because B1.3 growth and competitive fitness were poor in mMRS medium (here called mMRS), a modified MRS medium lacking beef extract, we used mMRS to identify nutrients needed for robust B1.3 growth. No improvement was observed when mMRS was supplemented with nucleotides, amino acids, vitamins, or monovalent metals. Remarkably, the addition of divalent metal salts increased the growth rate and cell yields of B1.3 in mMRS. Metal requirements were confirmed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, showing that total B1.3 intracellular metal concentrations were significantly (up to 2.7-fold) reduced compared to B1.1. Supplemental CaCl2 conferred the greatest effect, resulting in equal growth between B1.1 and B1.3 over five successive passages in mMRS. Moreover, calcium supplementation reversed a B1.3 strain-specific, stationary-phase, flocculation phenotype. These findings show how L. plantarum calcium requirements affect competitive fitness at the strain level.IMPORTANCE Ecological theory states that the struggle for existence is stronger between closely related species. Contrary to this assertion, fermented foods frequently sustain conspecific individuals, in spite of their high levels of phylogenetic relatedness. Therefore, we investigated two isolates of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, B1.1 and B1.3, randomly selected from a single batch of teff injera batter. These strains spanned the known genomic and phenotypic range of the L. plantarum species, and in laboratory culture medium used for strain screening, B1.3 exhibited poor growth and was outcompeted by the more robust strain B1.1. Nonetheless, B1.1 and B1.3 were equally competitive in teff flour. This result shows how L. plantarum has adapted for coexistence in that environment. The capacity for the single macronutrient calcium to restore B1.3 competitive fitness in laboratory culture medium suggests that L. plantarum intraspecies diversity found in food systems is fine-tuned to nutrient requirements at the strain level.