Astatine (At)
| Atomic Number | 85 |
|---|---|
| Atomic Mass | 210 u |
| Category | Post-transition metal |
| Electron Config | [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s² 6p⁵ |
| Appearance | unknown, probably metallic |
| Density (STP) | 7000 g/L |
| Melting Point | 575 K |
| Boiling Point | 610 K |
| Electronegativity | 2.2 (Pauling) |
| Ionization Energy | 899.003 kJ/mol |
| Atomic Radius | 127 pm |
| Crystal Structure | Face-centered Cubic (predicted) |
| Discovered By | Dale 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.
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