Nihonium, also known as element 113, is a synthetic chemical element with the symbol Nh and atomic number 113. It was first synthesized in 2003 by a team of researchers at the RIKEN laboratory in Japan and was named after the country in which it was discovered.
Nihonium belongs to the group 13 elements, also known as the boron group, and is the first element in this group to be discovered in over 50 years. The boron group elements are known for their high electronegativity and the ability to form stable covalent bonds with other elements.
Nihonium is a radioactive element with a half-life of only 20 seconds, making it highly unstable and difficult to study. It is produced through the bombarding of bismuth-209 with zinc-70 ions, a process that creates highly charged ions that can be observed using a particle accelerator.
Despite its short half-life, nihonium has garnered a lot of attention from researchers due to its potential applications in various fields, including nuclear medicine and materials science. Its high electronegativity makes it a promising candidate for use in hydrogen storage, as it has the ability to form stable bonds with hydrogen atoms.
Nihonium is also of interest to researchers studying the periodic table and the properties of superheavy elements. These elements, which are heavier than uranium, are difficult to synthesize and are not found naturally on Earth. Studying nihonium and other superheavy elements can provide insights into the behavior of these elements and help researchers understand the limits of the periodic table.
Examples of nihonium in the periodic table:
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