The Creation of Super Heavy Elements

Whenever someone discusses the periodic table elements, they skim over or even do not include the new category called the super heavy elements (SHE). I wanted to find out more about their creation and potential uses because there are possibly more of them to discover.

The number of protons defines an element; SHEs are usually classified as having 104 or more protons in their nucleus. These newly generated elements do not occur naturally due to their instability and must be produced in laboratories. However, the formation of these elements is challenging because the two nuclei's positive forces strongly repel against each other. Nuclear fusion involves merging two molecules at immensely high speeds, even reaching 10% of the speed of light! A cyclotron blasts calcium-48, an especially negatively charged isotope, to overcome this repulsion briefly. For example, to create element 115 (moscovium), element 20 (calcium) and element 95 (americium) were combined. Unfortunately, though, the protons' Coulombic repulsion prevails, and the atom breaks apart within seconds, or generally even less than that; this is termed as fission. To preserve the SHE for longer, they can be kept in the presence of highly negatively charged isotopes or have more neutrally charged neutrons added to the nucleus. 


Image Credit: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/363968.stm

So far, scientists have gotten up to creating element 118, called Oganesson, in 2004; several labs around the world are attempting to get an element 119 and 120. The newly opened Super Heavy Element Factory (SHEF) has an ambitious goal of producing an element 120. They are applying the previously discussed theory that adding more neutrons to a SHE's nucleus will make it more stable and extend its lifetime. Naturally occurring isotopes dubbed as "doubly magic" have their shells full with protons and neutrons. This means that some isotopes of elements are more stable than others; for example, oxygen-16 is the most stable form, making up 99% of all existing oxygen. According to this idea, scientists believe that certain isotopes of SHEs are more stable than others and can last longer. Element 114 (flerovium) has proved to be the most stable SHE, lasting 30 seconds while the others are held together just fractions of a second.

Image Credit: https://asrc.jaea.go.jp/soshiki/gr/HENS-gr/nc/index-e.htm

Recently, however, retaining element 114 for longer by creating an isotope having the "doubly magic" number of protons and neutrons has been hindered. Scientists created new atoms of flerovium 286 and 288, which had full proton shells with highly efficient decay, indicating that more neutrons must be added to stabilize the SHE. This, however, is not possible currently, as only 177 neutrons have been fitted into the shell, whereas fully stocking the flerovium neutron shell would require 184. 

Image Credit: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/physics-periodic-table-future-superheavy-elements


While practical utilization of SHEs has not been found yet as they only exist for a very brief period of time, scientists predict that these elements will become useful with more research. Elements classified as "heavy" have found their applications, such as element 95, americium, used in smoke detectors, and element 94, plutonium used in nuclear weapons. Scientists are optimistic that the SHEs will too find some practical uses; for example, interestingly, after forming element 115, it decayed into element 113, a property that may lead to having some practical applications.

Overall, SHE element research and formation are constantly progressing forward in the creation of new elements. The drive to expand the periodic table continues to be firm with labs setting goals of creating an element 119 and 120. Because SHEs do not exist naturally on our planet, by working to make them more stable and finding advantageous applications for them, scientists will truly leave a lasting mark on the world!



Sources:

https://inchemistry.acs.org/atomic-news/modern-alchemy-creating-superheavy-elements.html#:~:text=Most%20methods%20for%20making%20new,combine%2C%20creating%20new%20heavier%20elements.

https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/explainer-superheavy-elements/1010345.article#/

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/02/hopes-evaporate-superheavy-element-flerovium-having-long-life

https://pls.llnl.gov/research-and-development/nuclear-science/project-highlights/livermorium/elements-113-and 115#:~:text=Previously%20discovered%20heavy%20elements%20are,be%20discovered%20in%20the%20future.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blue, Green, Gray, Pink, or Yellow Hydrogen: What it Means For Generating Cleaner Energy

Image
Hydrogen is the most abundant element on the planet; approximately 90 percent of all atoms are hydrogen. It is also the most simple element consisting of only one proton and neutron. Yet, hydrogen has the potential to be utilized as a source of generation and storage of clean energy. However, hydrogen does not often appear in nature on its own, so it requires a primary energy source to be produced. The sources and processes used to obtain hydrogen are often referred to by color, like grey, blue, green, yellow, and pink. Currently, grey hydrogen is the most common and economical method. Grey hydrogen is derived from natural gas by steam methane reforming (SMR). During SMR, natural gas is combined with hot steam, and the methane from natural gas reacts to form hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Extra water is added to convert the carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide while producing more hydrogen.  The key distinction between grey and blue hydrogen is that blue hydrogen aims for carbon dioxid...
Read more

Organic Photovoltaics: An Invisible Solar Energy Revolution in the Making

Image
Image: https://ensia.com/features/organic-solar-cells-energy-power/ Think solar energy. Your mind likely brings up images of fields or roofs dotted with blue rectangles – photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. But what if anything that basks in the sunshine could become an energy magnet? The technology making this possible could soon surround us – and we won’t even see it. PV panels have been springing up around the world for a while now, but this expansion poses some challenges. Their production requires huge amounts of (often fossil fuel-generated) energy and unsustainably sourced rare metals. Also, after they are decommissioned, high volumes of panel waste expose communities and the environment to the harmful substances found within them. On top of that, PVs are opaque and bulky, which limits where they can be installed. Meet Organic Photovoltaics (OPVs): the thin, flexible, and transparent up-and-comer ready to shake things up in the solar energy universe.  The sun emits virtuall...
Read more

Using Nanoparticles to Clean Ocean Oil Spills: Ferrofluids

Image
Marine oil spills have long-lasting devastating environmental consequences and dangerous conditions for workers. The US dumps 1.3 million gallons of oils into the ocean each year. These include the physical smothering of aquatic organisms, which leads to possible ecological changes, and toxic chemicals ending up in the water.  Currently, the most widely utilized method to clean these spills is chemical dispersants. They break down large areas of oil into tiny particles, similarly to dish soap; however, a problem with this is that, though, in smaller quantities, the oil becomes more scattered in the environment. While dispersants can break up the spill on the surface, the ocean's depths still end up polluted. Additionally, some chemicals found in dispersants may be more harmful than the oil itself. Another method involves using booms and skimmers. Booms are barriers placed around the spill that concentrate the oil into thicker layers. This allows vacuums or skimmers to capture, allo...
Read more