In this article we are going to talk about Astatine, one of the most curious chemicals on the planet. In fact, it is considered the rarest element on earth, due to all of its characteristics. For this reason, we invite you to pay the utmost attention to the details that we have prepared.
What is the Astatus?
Astatine is a chemical element belonging to the periodic table. It is symbolized by the initials At and corresponds to atomic number 85. On the other hand, it is the heaviest chemical element in the halogen group and is truly radioactive.
It is produced as a derivative of the degradation of thorium and uranium through the bombardment of bismuth with alpha particles, therefore it is usually related to uraninite.
Astatine Characteristics
Since it is a highly radioactive chemical element, its behavior is very similar to that of other halogens. In fact, its chemical properties are thought to be very similar to those of iodine. However, to date its behavior has not been discovered as such nor have many applications been given to it.
One of its most interesting characteristics is that its presence on the earth’s surface does not exceed 25 grams. All its isotopes are short-lived, the most stable being Astatine-210. Now, it only has a life of approximately 8 hours.
Astatine Properties
All the properties of this chemical element are not yet known with certainty. The closest thing that has been perceived is that it is very similar in its composition to iodine. The At has an appearance a both dark, bright and lustrous at once.
It is considered a semiconductor element and probably belongs to cluster of metals. At manifests some metallic behaviors, such as the formation of stable monatomic cations. In this sense, it is one of its main differences with the lighter halogens.
It is also possible that its melting point is somewhat higher than that of iodine. Similarly, all variations of Anionic Astat have a similar composition.
History of the strangest chemical on the planet
This chemical element was synthesized for the first time in the year 1940. The historical milestone was made by Emilio Segre. K. R. Mackenzie and Dale R. Corson at the University of Berkeley, California. Said group of scientists bombarded a bismuth target using alpha particles.
Later, in 1964, McLaughlin made a study of a 70 ng sample of radioactive isotopes in production of artificial form. Furthermore, he was the first scientist to observe two spectral lines in the ultraviolet field.
Astatus Uses
At present, a direct application of this element with such small amounts on the planet has not yet been discovered. However, it is considered as potential use in cancer treatment. It is an element that has Very interesting isotopes for the creation of radiopharmaceuticals.
On the other hand, experts also mention that its experimental value is very practical for the comparative evaluation of theories. These are used to predict chemical and atomic properties of other elements, especially the superheavy ones.
The great rarity of Astatus
Science and health experts continue to study the properties of this chemical element. They think that in the future they can get one of the more treatments effective to combat malignant cells. In any case, producing this chemical artificially is very difficult and dangerous.
It is an element with high radioactivity, so precautions must be taken when handling it. In the meantime, we are all still waiting for the new results about his studies. If possible, in a few years it will have beneficial applications for society.