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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 1999  > March  >
Viewpoints
Chemistry of the Heaviest Elements-One Atom at a Time
Darleane C. Hoffman and Diana M. Lee
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720

Cover
March 1999
Vol. 76 No. 3
p. 331

Abstract
In keeping with the goal of the Viewpoint series of the Journal of Chemical Education, this article gives a 75-year perspective of the chemistry of the heaviest elements, including a 50-year retrospective view of past developments, a summary of current research achievements and applications, and some predictions about exciting, new developments that might be envisioned within the next 25 years. A historical perspective of the importance of chemical separations in the discoveries of the transuranium elements from neptunium (Z = 93) through mendelevium (Z = 101) is given. The development of techniques for studying the chemical properties of mendelevium and still heavier elements on the basis of measuring the radioactive decay of a single atom ("atom-at-a-time" chemistry) and combining the results of many separate experiments is reviewed. The influence of relativistic effects (expected to increase as Z2) on chemical properties is discussed. The results from recent atom-at-a-time studies of the chemistry of the heaviest elements through seaborgium (Z = 106) are summarized and show that their properties cannot be readily predicted based on simple extrapolation from the properties of their lighter homologues in the periodic table. The prospects for extending chemical studies to still heavier elements than seaborgium are considered and appear promising.

See Letter re: this article.

Featured on the Cover

Supplement
This is a collection of videos from the E. O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, based on interviews with nuclear chemists who have discovered and studied the heaviest elements. The movies are listed below with their appropriate links. Those researchers involved with the segments about Lawrencium include Robert Silva, Torbjorn Sikkeland, Matti Nurmia, Robert Latimer, and Albert Ghiorso, all of whom are from the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. You will need QuickTime 3 in order to view them and can download a free copy from http://www.apple.com.

A Brief Note about Plutonium by Glenn Seaborg

One sentence on how Pu was a means of extending the boundary of the periodic table.
A Brief Note about Plutonium by Glenn Seaborg (20 sec)

Plutonium and Why It Was Kept a Secret

Glen Seaborg talks about the discoveries of Actinium and Plutonium and the reasons for keeping the discovery of Pu a secret.
Plutonium and Why It Was Kept a Secret (2 min)

The Prediction of the Actinide Series by Glenn Seaborg

Glenn Seaborg discusses the initial failure to chemically identify elements 95 and 96 (Americium and Curium) and later describes his prediction of the actinide series.
The Prediction of the Actinide Series by Glenn Seaborg (2 min, 19 sec)

First Chemical Separation of Lawrencium at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory in 1970

Bob Silva from the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory in Berkeley describes Glenn Seaborg's prediction of an actinide series with elements 102 and 103 (Nobelium and Lawrencium) discovered by this laboratory.
Introduction from Bob Silva (1 min, 26 sec)

The HILAC or Heavy-Ion Linear Accelerator

The HILAC is shown and described. Experimental parameters for bombardment are considered.
The HILAC or Heavy-Ion Layer Accelerator (2 min, 16 sec)

Discovery of Lawrencium

The presentation includes discussion of the discovery of Lawrencium with the heavy-ion layer accelerator or HILAC and the reaction used to produce it.
Discovery of Lawrencium (59 sec)

How To Collect Lawrencium Atoms

Bob Silva demonstrates and describes the experimental preparation for the collection of Lr atoms.
How To Collect Lawrencium Atoms (1 min, 8 sec)

A faster version of the above movie is provided for humorous effect.
How To Collect Lawrencium Atoms-Really Fast (24 sec)

The Discovery of Element 106-Finally

Nuclear chemist Darleane Hoffman speaks on the confirmation of the original discovery of element 106.
The Discovery of Element 106-Finally (38 sec)

The Naming of Element 106

A brief narration by Albert Ghiorso of the suggested name for element 106.
The Naming of Element 106 (19 sec)

The Limits of Discovering the Heavy Elements

Glenn Seaborg talks about the limitations of discovering heavy elements, and a model of nuclear fission is shown.
The Limits of Discovering the Heavy Elements (18 sec)

What Good is a Heavy Element?

Narration by Albert Ghiorso. A chromatographic separation of Californium-249 is shown, with its subsequent placement on a platinum foil for bombardment.
What Good is a Heavy Element? (55 sec)

*  Contents
*  Download
More Information
*  Citation
Hoffman, Darleane C.; Lee, Diana M. J. Chem. Educ. 1999 76 331.
*  Keywords
Chromatography; Graduate Education / Research; Instrumental Methods; Isotopes; Nuclear / Radiochemistry; Separation Science; actinides; transactinides
*  History
Created:
Last Updated:
6/15/1999
1/25/2006
Link to Letter added (April 2004). Link to Cover added (April 2004).
  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 1999  > March  > Page 331


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