fl

Flerovium (Fl) is a synthetic chemical element with atomic number 114. It is a member of group 14 in the seventh period of the periodic table and is considered a superheavy element. Flerovium is not found in nature and has only been produced in particle accelerators through heavy-ion fusion reactions.

Discovery and naming

Flerovium was first synthesized in 1999 by a collaboration between the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (Dubna) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The production used a target of plutonium-244 (Pu-244) bombarded with calcium-48 (Ca-48) ions, yielding flerovium-289 via the 3n evaporation channel. Initially designated by the temporary name ununquadium (Uuq), the element was later given the name flerovium in honor of the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions in Dubna.

Properties and chemistry

As a seventh-period, group-14 element, flerovium is predicted to be a metal with properties influenced by strong relativistic effects. Its chemical behavior is not well established due to very short half-lives of the synthesized isotopes and the tiny number of atoms produced. Most known isotopes decay within milliseconds to seconds, primarily by alpha decay or spontaneous fission. Consequently, detailed experimental chemistry remains limited, and theoretical predictions vary. It is generally expected to form compounds similar to other group-14 elements, but actual oxidation states and compound stability are subjects of ongoing research.

Isotopes and production

Several radioactive isotopes of flerovium have been synthesized, with the longest-lived isotopes lasting only a few seconds. All known isotopes are short-lived and produced only in laboratory settings, making practical applications unavailable at present.

See also

Periodic table, superheavy element, list of elements in group 14.