Unbinilium

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Unbinilium (pronEng|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.

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. [ [http://www.jinr.ru/plan/ptp-2007/e751004.htm THEME03-5-1004-94/2009 ] ] 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. [Yuri Oganessian, TAN07, 23-28 September 2007, Davos, Switzerland]

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

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: [http://www.gsi.de/documents/DOC-2007-Mar-174-1.pdf]

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

No atoms were detected providing a limit of 0.4 pb on the cross section at the energy provided. [Sigurd Hofmann, TAN07, 23-28 September 2007, Davos, Switzerland]

The GSI are currently repeating the experiment with higher sensitivity. A second run was completed from Jan 19- March 2008 according to the GSI beam schedule, but results are not yet published. According to the schedule, a third run is currently underway from Sep 10 - Oct 19, 2008.

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. citejournal|journal=Phys. Rev. C|volume=73|pages=014612|year=2006|title=α decay half-lives of new superheavy elements|author=P. Roy Chowdhury, C. Samanta, and D. N. Basu|month=January|day=26|url=http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=PRVCAN000073000001014612000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=yes|doi=10.1103/PhysRevC.73.014612] [citejournal| journal=Nucl. Phys. A|volume=789|pages=142–154|year=2007| title=Predictions of alpha decay half lives of heavy and superheavy elements|author=C. Samanta, P. Roy Chowdhury and D.N. Basu|url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TVB-4NF4F0Y-2&_user=2806701&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000058844&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=2806701&md5=3f680654b5659191d67f31681a4cfc83| doi=10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2007.04.001] [citejournal|journal=Phys. Rev. C|volume=77|pages=044603|year=2008|title=Search for long lived heaviest nuclei beyond the valley of stability|author=P. Roy Chowdhury, C. Samanta, and D. N. Basu|url=http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=PRVCAN000077000004044603000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=yes|doi=10.1103/PhysRevC.77.044603] [citejournal|journal=At. Data & Nucl. Data Tables|year=2008|title=Nuclear half-lives for α -radioactivity of elements with 100 < Z < 130 |author=P. Roy Chowdhury, C. Samanta, and D. N. Basu|url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WBB-4S26JRX-1&_user=2806701&_coverDate=03%2F14%2F2008&_alid=740505626&_rdoc=6&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_cdi=6706&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_ct=211&_acct=C000058844&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=2806701&md5=dc85a3a8a2ac1faa38c3804f16f86c13]

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. [Patra et al. Journal of Physics 2000]

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 and highly explosive in terms of flammibility.

References

See also

*Island of stability: Ununquadium &ndash; Unbinilium &ndash; Unbihexium
*Radium
*Eka-francium &mdash; Eka-radium &mdash; Eka-actinium
*Ununennium &ndash; Unbiunium

External links

* [http://www.webelements.com/webelements/elements/text/Ubn/index.html WebElements.com - Unbinilium]
* [http://www.apsidium.com/elements/120.htm Apsidium - Unbinilium]
* [http://www.apsidium.com/number/amc.htm Theory of atomic mass calculation]