As of right now, there are 118 known elements in the field of Chemistry. However, 94 of them occurred naturally, whereas 24 others are synthetically made, in simple words, man-made. In the periodic table, the ones with the atomic number 1-94 are natural occurrences, and from 95-118 are synthetics.
Let’s start with a reminiscent, the first-ever synthetic element made is Technetium with the atomic number 43. It was discovered by Emilio Segrè in 1937 in Italy through the investigations of Molybdenum (atomic number 42) which had been exposed to high energy radiation where Technetium was found and separated. After found, it has been placed in the position of atomic number 43 where it once was a gap Mendeleev left, creating a new scientific discovery. Today, Technetium is produced by bombarding Molybdenum-98 with neutrons. Molybdenum-98 becomes Molybdenum-99 when it captures a neutron. Molybdenum-99, with a half-life of 65.94 hours, decays into Technetium-99 through beta decay. Technetium-99m emit gamma-ray (metastable) which is widely used for medical diagnostic studies. Moreover, it can be used in small amounts as a corrosion inhibitor for steel, and it can provide excellent protection.
There are many other synthetically made elements and the process of it is called synthesis.
Americium (Am) with the atomic number 95 was produced in kilogram quantities and has a few practical uses. It is used in smoke detectors and can be used as a portable source of gamma rays. Curium (Cm) which has the atomic number of 96 provides power to electrical equipment used on space missions. Element 97 is Berkelium (Bk) has been widely used in the chemical studies of the element because it can be produced in amounts that are isotopically pure by nuclear reactions. Berkelium has also been used in the synthesis of heavier elements such as Tennessine. Next is element 98, Californium, which is a very strong neutron emitter. It is used in portable metal detectors, for identifying gold and silver ores, identifying water and oil layers in oil wells, and to detect metal fatigue and stress in airplanes. Element 99 is Einsteinium was named after Albert Einstein but he doesn’t have any work relating to it. It was used in creating heavier elements, including mendelevium. Because of its high rate of decay and radioactive nature, there are currently no other uses for einsteinium. For element 100, Fermium can only be obtained in microgram qualities. Mendelevium has the atomic number 101 is named after Mendeleev who was the creator of the periodic table. Nobelium (atomic no. 102) is named after Alfred Nobel who was the founder of the Nobel prize. Number 103 in the table is Lawrencium is named after Ernest O. Lawrence, the inventor of the cyclotron. Rutherfordium has the atomic number of 104 and is named in honor of New Zealand Chemist Ernest Rutherford, one of the first to explain the structure of atoms. Dubnium (no. 105) is named for the Russian town Dubna. Number 106, Seaborgium is named for Glenn T. Seaborg, who was instrumental in producing several transuranium elements. Bohrium which has the number 107 is named after the Danish atomic physicist Niels Bohr. The name for Hassium (108) was derived from the German state of Hesse where Hassium was first made. Up next, number 109 Meitnerium is named for the Austrian physicist Lise Meitner. Element 110 is Darmstadtium which is named after Darmstadt, Germany, where the element was first produced. Element 111 with the name Roentgenium (Rg) was proposed by the GSI team in honor of the German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen. Copernicium (112) is named for the Renaissance scientist Nicolaus Copernicus. Nihonium which has the atomic number 113, has a name that refers to the Japanese name for Japan. Flerovium (no.114) was named after the Russian physicist Georgy Flerov who founded the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research where the element was discovered. Element 114, Moscovium’s name refers to the Moscow region, where the Joint Institute of Nuclear Research is based. Next up is Livermorium which has the atomic number of 116, named after the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Element 117 is called Tennessine and the name refers to the US state of Tennessee. The last element of the synthetic elements, also the last of the periodic table as of this moment is Oganesson (Og) which has the atomic number of 118. The name was to honor the Russian nuclear physicist Yuri Oganessian for his contributions to transactinide element research.
All synthetic elements are radioactive and they have their own uses. From elements 100-118, they are only used for research for the present.
Sources:
“Synthetic Element.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 9 June 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_element.
Chapman, Kit. “The First Synthetic Element.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 28 Jan. 2019, www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00236-4.
“Technetium.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/element/Technetium#:~:text=Technetium%20was%20created%20by%20bombarding,bombarding%20molybdenum%2D98%20with%20neutrons.&text=Technetium's%20most%20stable%20isotope%2C%20technetium,life%20of%20about%204%2C200%2C000%20years.
“It's Elemental.” It's Elemental - The Element Americium, education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele095.html#:~:text=Americium%20can%20be%20produced%20in,pure%20samples%20of%20this%20isotope.
“Berkelium.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 26 Apr. 2021, www.britannica.com/science/berkelium.
Ross, Rachel. “Facts About Einsteinium.” LiveScience, Purch, 21 Jan. 2017, www.livescience.com/40307-einsteinium.html#:~:text=According%20to%20Redfern%2C%20the%20main,no%20other%20uses%20for%20einsteinium.
Periodic Table – Royal Society of Chemistry, www.rsc.org/periodic-table/.
Written by: Sonalen Saing