Nihonium
[Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d¹⁰ 7s² 7p¹ · 2 · 8 · 18 · 32 · 32 · 18 · 3
The first element discovered in Asia. Nihonium is named from Nihon, Japan's name for itself, and its synthesis became a point of national pride: the RIKEN team spent nine years to obtain three atoms.
3D model
Bohr model: nucleus and electron shells from the real configuration. Valence electrons are highlighted.
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Atomic properties
- Atomic number
- 113
- Atomic mass
- 286 а.е.м. ≈
- Electron configuration
- [Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d¹⁰ 7s² 7p¹
- Electrons per shell
- 2 · 8 · 18 · 32 · 32 · 18 · 3
- Block
- p-block
- Group
- Boron group
- Period
- 7
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- no data
- Electronegativity (Allen)
- no data
- Atomic radius
- no data
- Covalent radius
- 136 pm
- Van der Waals radius
- no data
- Ionisation energy 1
- 704.9 kJ/mol ≈
- Electron affinity
- 66.6 kJ/mol ≈
- Common oxidation states
- +1
- Oxidation states
- +1, +3
Physical properties
- State at 25 °C
- solid
- Density
- 16 g/cm³ ≈
- Melting point
- 700 K · 426.9 °C ≈
- Boiling point
- 1 430 K · 1 156.9 °C ≈
- 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
- hexagonal close-packed (hcp) ≈
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 278Nh | — | 0.001 s | α |
| 286Nh | — | 9.5 s | α |
Nihonium-286, half-life about 10 seconds, is the longest-lived known isotope.
Discovery
- Year of discovery
- 2004
- Discovered by
- Kosuke Morita and the RIKEN team
- Where
- Japan
- Origin of the name
- from Nihon, the Japanese name for Japan; the first element discovered in Asia
History
Kosuke Morita's RIKEN group registered the first atom in July 2004, the second in 2005 and the third only in 2012. Seven years of continuous accelerator running separated the second from the third.
Where it occurs
Absent from nature.
How it is produced
By nuclear fusion: bismuth-209 bombarded with zinc-70 ions. The fusion probability is roughly one in a hundred quintillion collisions.
Role in living things
No biological role.
Safety
Only single atoms are ever handled.
Uses
Fundamental research
Curiosities
- The RIKEN team irradiated its target for 553 days of beam time to get three nihonium atoms.
- Nihonium is the first element discovered and named in Asia.
- Seven years passed between the second atom and the third — and the funding held throughout.
- The name means land of the rising sun.