Unbinilium

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120 Uue ← unbinilium → Ubu
Ra
↑
Ubn
↓
Usn
General
Name, Symbol, Number unbinilium, Ubn, 120
Chemical series Presumably Alkali earth metals
Group, Period, Block 2, 8, s
Appearance unknown, probably metallic
and silvery white or grey colour
Standard atomic weight unknown  g·mol−1
Electron configuration [Uuo] 8s2
(a guess based upon barium
and radium)
Electrons per shell 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 18, 8, 2
Physical properties
Oxidation states presumably 2
Phase unknown
Miscellaneous
Selected isotopes
Main article: Isotopes of unbinilium
iso NA half-life DM DE (MeV) DP
References

Unbinilium (pronounced /ˌʌnbɪˈnɪliəm/), also called eka-radium, is the temporary, systematic element name of an undiscovered chemical element in the periodic table that has the temporary symbol Ubn and has the atomic number 120.

Unbinilium

Common English pronunciation of unbinilium
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Contents

[edit] History

In March-April 2007, the synthesis of element 120 was attempted at the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions in Dubna by bombarding a plutonium-244 target with iron-58 ions.[1] Initial analysis revealed that no atoms of element 120 were produced providing a limit of 0.7 pb for the cross section at the energy studied.[2]


\,^{244}_{94}\mathrm{Pu} + \,^{58}_{26}\mathrm{Fe} \to \,^{302}_{120}\mathrm{Ubn} ^{*} \to \ no \ atoms


The Russian team are planning to upgrade their facilities before attempting the reaction again.

In April-May 2007, the team at GSI attempted to create unbinilium using uranium-238 and nickel-64:[3]


\,^{238}_{92}\mathrm{U} + \,^{64}_{28}\mathrm{Ni} \to \,^{302}_{120}\mathrm{Ubn} ^{*} \to \ no \ atoms


No atoms were detected providing a limit of 0.4 pb on the cross section at the energy provided.[4]

The GSI are currently repeating the experiment with higher sensitivity. Initial scheduling indicated two separate runs were to be made but more recent information indicates that a single, long run from Jan 19-March 24, 2008, was to be performed.

In a quantum tunneling model with mass estimates from a macroscopic-microscopic model, the alpha-decay half-lives of several isotopes of the element 120 (namely, 292-304120) have been predicted to be around 1-20 micro-seconds. [5][6][7][8]

[edit] Stable Unbinilium

The element is of interest because it is part of the hypothesized island of stability, with isotope 318 being the most stable of those that can be created by current methods. Using the spherical model of shell formation, element 120 would be the heaviest element in an island of stability, and also, along with 114, the most spherical.[9]

[edit] Reactivity

Unbinilium would be highly reactive, according to periodic trends, as this element is a member of Alkaline earth metals. It would be much more reactive than any other lighter elements of this group. This element would react violently in air to form unbinilium oxide and in water to form unbinilium hydroxide, which would be a strong base.

[edit] References

  1. ^ THEME03-5-1004-94/2009
  2. ^ Yuri Oganessian, TAN07, 23-28 September 2007, Davos, Switzerland
  3. ^ http://www.gsi.de/documents/DOC-2007-Mar-174-1.pdf
  4. ^ Sigurd Hofmann, TAN07, 23-28 September 2007, Davos, Switzerland
  5. ^ P. Roy Chowdhury, C. Samanta, and D. N. Basu (January 2006). "α decay half-lives of new superheavy elements". Phys. Rev. C 73: 014612. 
  6. ^ C. Samanta, P. Roy Chowdhury and D.N. Basu (2007). "Predictions of alpha decay half lives of heavy and superheavy elements". Nucl. Phys. A 789: 142-154. 
  7. ^ P. Roy Chowdhury, C. Samanta, and D. N. Basu (2008). "Search for long lived heaviest nuclei beyond the valley of stability". Phys. Rev. C 77: 044603. 
  8. ^ P. Roy Chowdhury, C. Samanta, and D. N. Basu (2008). "Nuclear half-lives for α -radioactivity of elements with 100 < Z < 130". At. Data & Nucl. Data Tables. 
  9. ^ Patra et al. Journal of Physics 2000

[edit] See also

[edit] External links