It’s astonishing to know that new elements are still being discovered and added to the periodic table. One such fascinating radioactive element is Berkelium. This soft, silvery-white metal was first discovered in Berkeley, California, in the U.S.A. in 1949, hence its name.As a radioactive metal, it’s placed in the transuranic position of the periodic table and has the atomic number 97. Moreover, this element lacks any stable isotopes and is found in a solid state.So, keep on reading if you’re interested in chemistry and would like to know more about Berkelium, its discovery, classification, chemical properties, and uses.The Classification Of BerkeliumBerkelium is classified as an actinide metal and is one of 15 metallic elements. The element has the atomic number 97 and an atomic weight of 247.Other than that, Berkelium is a transuranic element, as it has an atomic number greater than 92, the atomic number of uranium. It was the fifth synthetic transuranium to be discovered from the actinide metal family. More studies on Berkelium show that it has 97 protons and 97 electrons, along with 150 neutrons. Currently, it’s placed in the seventh period and ‘F’ block of the periodic table, along with other actinides. Berkelium sits between Curium and Californium.The Discovery Of BerkeliumThis radioactive metal was first intentionally synthesized by a group of chemists comprising Glenn T. Seaborg, Stanley G. Thompson, Albert Ghiorso, and Kenneth Street Jr, in 1949.Moreover, these scientists were behind the isolation and identification of Berkelium, after a 60 in (152 cm) cyclotron was set up at the University of California, Berkeley. While naming this new actinide element, the group wanted to follow the naming pattern of lanthanide, which sits just above Berkelium in the periodic table. This follows a similar pattern of naming rare Earth minerals after places, such as the element Terbium (named after the city of Ytterby, Sweden). Berkelium was chosen as the name based on the city of Berkeley where the discovery was made. Glenn T. Seaborg, Stanley G. Thompson, Albert Ghiorso, and Kenneth Street Jr were also behind discovering Californium. At first, the mass number of this element was placed between 243 and 244, but more research led to the number 243.The preparation of extracting isotopes of Berkelium starts by bombarding lighter actinides in the likes of Plutonium and Uranium with neutrons. On initial discovery of the isotope Berkelium - 243 through the bombardment of alpha particles, it could only have a half-life of five hours. We are yet to know if Berkelium is produced naturally in the universe. Initially, only tracer experiments were done on the element Berkelium to find out more about ion exchange and co-precipitation.In 1965, scientists were able to give it a half-life of 300 years, and it was also when another isotope, Berkelium-247, was discovered, while the first chemical compounds, Berkelium dioxide, and Berkelium chloride, had already been made in 1962. Later, Berkelium compounds Berkelium fluoride and Berkelium trioxide were also made.The Chemical Properties Of BerkeliumAfter finding out about the discovery of Berkelium, let’s discover its chemical properties. The metal Berkelium includes a mass number ranging between 233 and 253, and there are around 14 isotopes of the element.Berkelium has been assigned the atomic number 97, and an atomic weight of 247, and reaches a solid physical state at 68 °F (20 °C). The melting point of Berkelium is 1,807 °F (986 °C), while the boiling point is 4,760 °F (2,627 °C). Its two common isotopes are said to be Berkelium-247 and Berkelium-249. While Berkelium-247 is described as being an alpha emitter, the isotope of Berkelium-249 is known to emit soft beta particles as well as weak alpha radiation. Moreover, Berkelium-247 has a half-life of 1,380 years and can transform into Americium-243 with alpha decay. Added to this, all isotopes of Berkelium are radioactive in nature.Berkelium exhibits two crystal forms or crystal structures, a face-centered cubic as well as a double hexagonal, and are closely packed. The common oxidation states are said to be O, III, and IV, though some studies related to Berkelium oxidation states have shown the presence of II. The Berkelium metal is said to dissolve rapidly in aqueous mineral acids, which end up liberating hydrogen gas to form Bk (III). Moreover, Berkelium ions are known to show two sharp fluorescence peaks.When kept at room temperature or even at low temperature, Berkelium can quickly become paramagnetic. Berkelium has also been known to react with molten metals, halogens, hydrogen, chalcogens, and pnictogens to create binary compounds. The physical properties of Berkelium include its soft and silvery-white texture.The Uses Of BerkeliumHave you enjoyed finding out about the discovery of Berkelium and its properties? If so, read on to find out about its uses. However, as we still know very little about it, Berkelium isn’t used for any biological or technological purposes.The problem with Berkelium is that it’s very hard to create a large amount of the metal, and it doesn’t have stable isotopes. Powerful nuclear reactors are often required to successfully create a minuscule amount of the metal and, in most cases, scientists create a tiny amount for studying Berkelium properties, as we are yet to know much about it. In many cases, a small amount of Berkelium is used to bombard heavier elements to break them down. Having said that, between 1945 and 1980, Berkelium was typically used while experimenting with atmospheric nuclear weapons tests. So, although there are no uses for Berkelium metal in your daily life, it may become useful in the future.
It’s astonishing to know that new elements are still being discovered and added to the periodic table.
