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Paul Scherrer Institut

Laboratory for Radiochemistry and Environmental Chemistry

 Uni Bern
Paul Scherrer Institute, Department of Biology and Chemistry
University of Bern, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry		 CH-5232 Villigen PSI
Freiestr. 3, CH-3012 Bern		 Tel +41 (0)56 310 24 01
Tel +41 (0)31 631 42 42



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Updated:
27.02.2009
E-Mail: thorsten.bartels-rausch@psi.ch

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The investigation of chemical properties of the heaviest elements known today -
the transactinide elements.
Heavy Elements research group (Group Leader: Robert Eichler)


The 252-Cf fission source
The 252-Cf fission source "Miss Piggy"

Motivation

Transactinide series of elements starts with Rf (Z=104) and ends at the up to now heaviest synthesized element with Z=118.
Theoretical calculations of atomic properties predict increasingly strong relativistic effects in the electron shells of these elements. The field of the high charged nucleus modifies the electronic structure of transactinides in a way that their chemical properties could be very different from the properties of other elements in the same group of the periodic table.


Research Highlights

  • RfCl4 and RfBr4 are found to be more volatile than the corresponding HfCl4 and HfBr4 (Group IV).
  • DbOCl3 and DbOBr3 are less volatile than NbOCl3 and NbOCl3.
  • Comparison of the volatility of SgO2Cl2 with the MoO2Cl2 and WO2Cl2 (Group VI) is in agreement with classical extrapolation of the chemical properties.
  • Determination of the half-live of 265Sg (T1/2= 5.4 +4.4/-1.7 s) and 266Sg (T1/2= 20.8 +28.4/-7.6 s).
  • New Isotopes of Element 107: 266,267Bh were discovered.
  • Bh was characterized to be chemically similar to group 7 elements Tc and Re. It forms presumably BhO3Cl in a O2/HCl atmosphere.
  • Hs was characterized to be a typical group 8 element, forming a very volatile HsO4.
  • Evidence for a noble gas like behavior of element 112 was not confirmed.
  • Unambiguous chemical identification of element 112 as a very volatile group 12 element

 

  
 
The assembled COLD detector.
The 64 Channel alpha-SF spectroscopic amplification electronics developed at the PSI Electronics Laboratory is attached to the detector housing. The dewar for the liquid nitrogen cooling is visible on the left top of the housing. (The negative temperature gradient along the COLD channel goes from right to left) (Photo: G. Otto (GSI)) 		  The open COLD channel.
32 Detector sandwiches (PIN Diodes produced at the Laboratory for Micro- and Nanotechnology at PSI, and PIPS Detectors produced by the Insitute of Electron Technology, Warsaw, Poland) are assembled in the channel row forming a rectangular chromatographic column, which is covered inside on the top detector side by 50 nm gold layer. The stability of the temperature gradient established along this thermochromatographic channel is monitored by Pt Thermoresistors (red cables connected to the lid of the channel). (Photo: G. Otto (GSI))