Tennessine
[Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d¹⁰ 7s² 7p⁵ · 2 · 8 · 18 · 32 · 32 · 18 · 7
The penultimate element of the table and the most recently synthesised halogen. Tennessine is named after the state of Tennessee, where Oak Ridge bred the berkelium target for its synthesis.
3D model
Bohr model: nucleus and electron shells from the real configuration. Valence electrons are highlighted.
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Atomic properties
- Atomic number
- 117
- Atomic mass
- 294 а.е.м. ≈
- Electron configuration
- [Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d¹⁰ 7s² 7p⁵
- Electrons per shell
- 2 · 8 · 18 · 32 · 32 · 18 · 7
- Block
- p-block
- Group
- Halogens
- Period
- 7
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- no data
- Electronegativity (Allen)
- no data
- Atomic radius
- no data
- Covalent radius
- 165 pm
- Van der Waals radius
- no data
- Ionisation energy 1
- 736.9 kJ/mol ≈
- Electron affinity
- 165.9 kJ/mol ≈
- Common oxidation states
- +1
- Oxidation states
- -1, +1, +3, +5
Physical properties
- State at 25 °C
- solid
- Density
- 7.2 g/cm³ ≈
- Melting point
- 700 K · 426.9 °C ≈
- Boiling point
- 883 K · 609.9 °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
- no data
- Lattice constants
- no data
Abundance
- In the crust
- 0 mg/kg
- In the ocean
- 0 mg/L
- In the universe
- 0 mg/kg
- In the human body
- 0 mg/kg
Isotopes
| Isotope | Abundance | Half-life | Decay mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 293Ts | — | 0.022 s | α |
| 294Ts | — | 0.051 s | α |
Tennessine-294, half-life about 51 milliseconds, is the longest-lived known isotope.
Discovery
- Year of discovery
- 2010
- Discovered by
- JINR, Oak Ridge and Livermore
- Where
- Dubna, Russia
- Origin of the name
- after Tennessee, where the berkelium target was produced
History
A joint JINR, Oak Ridge and Livermore team synthesised element 117 in 2010. The 22-milligram berkelium-249 target took 250 days to breed and was flown to Dubna — part of it decayed en route.
Where it occurs
Absent from nature.
How it is produced
By nuclear fusion: berkelium-249 bombarded with calcium-48 ions.
Role in living things
No biological role.
Safety
Only single atoms are ever handled.
Uses
Fundamental research
Curiosities
- Making tennessine required an international logistics operation: the berkelium target was flown from the United States to Dubna within days.
- Tennessine is the only element named after an American state.
- Calculations suggest tennessine may behave as a metal rather than a halogen — relativistic effects breaking the expected periodicity.
- The name was given in 2016 for the contributions of Oak Ridge and Vanderbilt University.