Darmstadtium
[Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d⁸ 7s² · 2 · 8 · 18 · 32 · 32 · 16 · 2
An element named after Darmstadt, the city where six elements were discovered in a row over fifteen years. Darmstadtium is expected to behave like platinum, though nobody has yet been able to check.
3D model
Bohr model: nucleus and electron shells from the real configuration. Valence electrons are highlighted.
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Atomic properties
- Atomic number
- 110
- Atomic mass
- 281 а.е.м. ≈
- Electron configuration
- [Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d⁸ 7s²
- Electrons per shell
- 2 · 8 · 18 · 32 · 32 · 16 · 2
- Block
- d-block
- Group
- Nickel group
- Period
- 7
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- no data
- Electronegativity (Allen)
- no data
- Atomic radius
- no data
- Covalent radius
- 128 pm
- Van der Waals radius
- no data
- Ionisation energy 1
- 955 kJ/mol ≈
- Electron affinity
- no data
- Common oxidation states
- +6
- Oxidation states
- +6
Physical properties
- State at 25 °C
- unknown
- Density
- 26.5 g/cm³ ≈
- Melting point
- no data
- Boiling point
- no data
- Speed of sound
- no data
Thermal properties
- Heat of fusion
- no data
- Heat of vaporisation
- no data
- Specific heat capacity
- no data
- Thermal conductivity
- no data
Mechanical properties
- Young's modulus
- no data
- Shear modulus
- no data
- Bulk modulus
- no data
- Poisson ratio
- no data
- Mohs hardness
- no data
- Brinell hardness
- no data
Electrical and magnetic properties
- Electrical resistivity
- no data
- Magnetic ordering
- no data
- Curie point
- no data
- Néel point
- no data
- Superconducting point
- no data
Crystal structure
- Crystal structure
- body-centred cubic (bcc) ≈
- Lattice constants
- no data
Abundance
- In the crust
- does not occur
- In the ocean
- does not occur
- In the universe
- does not occur
- In the human body
- does not occur
Isotopes
| Isotope | Abundance | Half-life | Decay mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 281Ds | — | 14 s | СД |
Darmstadtium-281, half-life about 14 seconds, is the longest-lived known isotope.
Discovery
- Year of discovery
- 1994
- Discovered by
- Sigurd Hofmann and colleagues
- Where
- Darmstadt, Germany
- Origin of the name
- after Darmstadt, home of the GSI centre
History
Hofmann and colleagues synthesised element 110 at GSI in November 1994. The name was confirmed in 2003 after the team dropped an earlier proposal, policium, honouring Poland.
Where it occurs
Absent from nature.
How it is produced
By nuclear fusion: lead-208 bombarded with nickel-62 ions. It is made one atom at a time.
Role in living things
No biological role.
Safety
Only single atoms are ever handled.
Uses
Fundamental research
Curiosities
- Darmstadt is one of only three cities with an element named after it, alongside Dubna and Berkeley.
- The first darmstadtium atom was registered on 9 November 1994.
- GSI in Darmstadt discovered elements 107 to 112 over fifteen years — a record for one laboratory.
- Calculations predict a density near 26 g/cm³, which would make darmstadtium denser than osmium.