Berkelium

Closest packing ABAC

Glenn Seaborg - 1964

Berkeley 60-inch cyclotron

The University of California Berkeley 1868

Elutionskurven Tb Gd Eu und Bk Cm Am

Berkelium is a synthetic element with the symbol Bk and atomic number 97. It is a member of the actinide series, located in the periodic table between curium (Cm) and californium (Cf). Berkelium was first synthesized in 1949 by a team of scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, led by Albert Ghiorso, Glenn T. Seaborg, Stanley G. Thompson, and Kenneth Street, Jr.. The element was named after the city of Berkeley, where it was discovered.

Properties

Berkelium is a radioactive and synthetic element, meaning it does not occur naturally and must be created in a laboratory. It is a metal with a silvery appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air. Berkelium has several isotopes, with berkelium-249 being the most stable with a half-life of approximately 330 days. This isotope is produced in nuclear reactors and is used in scientific research, including studies in chemistry and physics.

The element exhibits both +3 and +4 oxidation states, with the +3 state being more stable. Berkelium's chemical properties are similar to those of its actinide neighbors, showing a behavior that is characteristic of the series.

Synthesis and Production

Berkelium is produced by bombarding lighter elements with neutrons or alpha particles. The most common method involves the neutron irradiation of plutonium or americium in a nuclear reactor. The production of berkelium is challenging due to its radioactivity and the need for specialized facilities to handle and study the element.

Applications

Due to its radioactivity and scarcity, berkelium does not have many practical applications. Its primary use is in scientific research, particularly in the production of heavier transuranic elements and transactinide elements. Berkelium-249 has been used as a target material in the synthesis of element 117, tennessine.

Safety

Handling berkelium requires strict safety protocols due to its radioactivity. It poses both a radiation hazard and a toxicity hazard, similar to other actinides. Proper shielding and precautions are necessary to protect researchers from radiation exposure.

See Also

• Actinide series
• Synthetic elements
• Nuclear reactor
• Radioactivity