Par Charles M. Folden III, Prof. Cyclotron Institute, Texas A&M University, Prof. Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA
A Texas A&M University, experiments are being conducted to develop techniques for chemical studies of the heaviest elements and to understand the possible synthesis of new elements. This work has largely focused on future chemical studies of nihonium (element 113), which is predicted to be a member of group 13. Liquid-liquid extraction has been studied using no-carrier-added radioactive tracers of 111In and 201Tl, with complementary experiments performed at IPHC Strasbourg. A variety of “designer” extractants have been studied, including ionic liquids, deep eutectic solvents, and low-transition-temperature mixtures. In addition, we have studied nuclear reactions similar to those leading to superheavy elements and have shown that survival against fission is dominant in determining the likelihood of success. Finally, this talk will discuss the current and future facilities available for this research.
