Scientists are close to creating a new element to expand the periodic table

In a major development in nuclear chemistry, researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California may have found a method to create “element 120,” an extremely heavy element that requires a new row on the periodic table. The hypothetical element, also known as unbinilium, represents a potential breakthrough that could advance scientific understanding of atomic structure and superheavy elements. Although only 118 elements are currently recognized, the heaviest of which is oganesson (element 118), scientists have long suspected the possibility of even larger atomic structures.

New technique uses titanium ions for synthesis

The researchers, led by nuclear scientist Dr. Jacklyn Gates, demonstrated a promising new technique in an October study published in Physical Review Letters. By bombarding plutonium-244, a neutron-rich isotope of plutonium, with supercharged titanium ions, the team successfully created atoms of livermorium (element 116). The scientists are optimistic that this approach can be adapted to synthesize unbinilium by targeting californium, a heavier element than plutonium, using similar ion bombardment techniques.

Commenting on the progress, Gates stated that this reaction, which had not previously been demonstrated, was essential to prove feasibility before any attempt to synthesize element 120. The potential success of this method could provide researchers with a stable path to synthesizing superheavy elements beyond the synthesis of element 120 that are currently known.

Long process expected due to stability issues

Despite the breakthrough, the timeline for creating unbinilium remains long. According to According to nuclear scientist Dr. Reiner Kruecken, co-author of the study, generating just two liver morium atoms took more than 22 days of continuous cyclotron operations, including constant titanium bombardment. The team estimates that making unbinilium could take ten times as long, given its expected instability. Superheavy elements generally have short lifespans, although scientists predict that some may eventually reach an “island of stability,” where atoms remain intact for longer periods of time.

Future potential and uncertainty

The possibility of unbinilium achieving stability opens new avenues for exploring superheavy elements, but uncertainty remains. Dr. Jennifer Pore, another co-author of the study, explained that this endeavor is at the edge of current scientific knowledge.