Astatine (At)

Atomic Number85
Atomic Mass210 u
CategoryPost-transition metal
Electron Config[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁵
Appearanceunknown, probably metallic
Density (STP)7000 g/L
Melting Point575 K
Boiling Point610 K
Electronegativity2.2 (Pauling)
Ionization Energy899.003 kJ/mol
Atomic Radius127 pm
Crystal StructureFace-centered Cubic (predicted)
Discovered ByDale R. Corson (1940)

Brief Introduction

Astatine (At) is a radioactive halogen and the rarest naturally occurring element in Earth's crust. It has no stable isotopes. Key details about Astatine (At) are as follows:

Uses: Primarily used in nuclear medicine research (Astatine-211) for targeted alpha-particle therapy to treat cancer. No other commercial applications due to rarity and short half-life.

Production/Extraction: Occurs naturally in minute traces as a decay product of uranium and thorium. Produced synthetically by bombarding bismuth with alpha particles.

History: Synthesized in 1940 by Dale R. Corson, Kenneth Ross MacKenzie, and Emilio Segrè at UC Berkeley. Named from Greek "astatos" (unstable). Naturally occurring astatine was discovered later.

Health Effects & Safety: Highly radioactive and dangerous. Accumulates in the thyroid gland like iodine. Handled only in tracer amounts in specialized laboratories.

Price/Market: Not commercially available. Produced on-demand in particle accelerators for research and medical trials.

Properties: Highly radioactive, short half-life (longest is 8.1 hours), likely a black solid with metallic properties, exhibits halogen-like chemical behavior but with more metallic character than iodine.

← Polonium (Po) · Radon (Rn) →

Periodic Table