View source for Chemistry:Meitnerium


'''Meitnerium''' ({{IPA-de|maɪ̯tˈneːʁiʊm|lang|De-Meitnerium.ogg}}) is a [[Physics:Synthetic element|synthetic chemical element]]; it has [[Chemistry:Chemical symbol|symbol]] '''Mt''' and [[Physics:Atomic number|atomic number]] 109. It is an extremely [[Physics:Radioactive|radioactive]] synthetic element (an element not found in nature, but can be created in a laboratory). The most stable known isotope, meitnerium-278, has a [[Physics:Half-life|half-life]] of 4.5 seconds, although the unconfirmed meitnerium-282 may have a longer half-life of 67 seconds. The [[Organization:GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research|GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research]] near Darmstadt, Germany, first created this element in 1982. It is named after [[Biography:Lise Meitner|Lise Meitner]].

In the [[Chemistry:Periodic table|periodic table]], meitnerium is a d-block [[Physics:Transactinide element|transactinide element]]. It is a member of the [[Chemistry:Period 7 element|7th period]] and is placed in the [[Chemistry:Group 9 element|group 9 element]]s, although no chemical experiments have yet been carried out to confirm that it behaves as the heavier [[Chemistry:Homologous series|homologue]] to [[Chemistry:Iridium|iridium]] in group 9 as the seventh member of the 6d series of [[Chemistry:Transition metal|transition metal]]s. Meitnerium is calculated to have properties similar to its lighter homologues, [[Chemistry:Cobalt|cobalt]], [[Chemistry:Rhodium|rhodium]], and iridium.

==Introduction==
{{Excerpt|Superheavy element|Introduction|subsections=yes}}

==History==
[[File:Lise Meitner (1878-1968), lecturing at Catholic University, Washington, D.C., 1946.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Meitnerium was named after the physicist Lise Meitner, one of the discoverers of nuclear fission.]]

===Discovery===
Meitnerium was first synthesized on August 29, 1982, by a German research team led by [[Biography:Peter Armbruster|Peter Armbruster]] and [[Biography:Gottfried Münzenberg|Gottfried Münzenberg]] at the Institute for Heavy Ion Research (Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung) in Darmstadt.<ref name="82Mu01">{{cite journal|title=Observation of one correlated α-decay in the reaction <sup>58</sup>Fe on <sup>209</sup>Bi→<sup>267</sup>109|doi=10.1007/BF01420157|year=1982|journal=Zeitschrift für Physik A|volume=309|issue=1|pages=89|last1=Münzenberg|first1=G.|last2=Armbruster|first2=P.|last3=Heßberger|first3=F. P.|last4=Hofmann|first4=S.|last5=Poppensieker|first5=K.|last6=Reisdorf|first6=W.|last7=Schneider|first7=J. H. R.|last8=Schneider|first8=W. F. W.|last9=Schmidt|first9=K.-H.|first10=C.-C.|last10=Sahm|first11=D.|last11=Vermeulen|bibcode = 1982ZPhyA.309...89M|s2cid=120062541}}</ref> The team bombarded a target of [[Physics:Bismuth-209|bismuth-209]] with accelerated nuclei of [[Chemistry:Iron|iron]]-58 and detected a single atom of the [[Physics:Isotope|isotope]] meitnerium-266:<ref name="93TWG">{{Cite journal|doi=10.1351/pac199365081757|title=Discovery of the transfermium elements. Part II: Introduction to discovery profiles. Part III: Discovery profiles of the transfermium elements|year=1993|author=Barber, R. C.|journal=Pure and Applied Chemistry|volume=65|pages=1757|last2=Greenwood|first2=N. N.|last3=Hrynkiewicz|first3=A. Z.|last4=Jeannin|first4=Y. P.|last5=Lefort|first5=M.|last6=Sakai|first6=M.|last7=Ulehla|first7=I.|last8=Wapstra|first8=A. P.|last9=Wilkinson|first9=D. H.
|issue=8|s2cid=195819585|doi-access=free}} (Note: for Part I see Pure Appl. Chem., Vol. 63, No. 6, pp. 879–886, 1991)</ref>

:{{nuclide|bismuth|209}} + {{nuclide|iron|58}} → {{nuclide|meitnerium|266}} + {{SubatomicParticle|neutron}}

This work was confirmed three years later at the [[Organization:Joint Institute for Nuclear Research|Joint Institute for Nuclear Research]] at [[Organization:Dubna|Dubna]] (then in the [[Place:Soviet Union|Soviet Union]]).<ref name="93TWG" />

===Naming===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Bohrium hassium meitnerium ceremony.jpg|thumb|left|Naming ceremony conducted at the GSI on 7 September 1992 for the namings of elements 107, 108, and 109 as nielsbohrium, hassium, and meitnerium]] -->
Using [[Chemistry:Mendeleev's predicted elements|Mendeleev's nomenclature for unnamed and undiscovered elements]], meitnerium should be known as ''eka-[[Chemistry:Iridium|iridium]]''. In 1979, during the [[Chemistry:Transfermium Wars|Transfermium Wars]] (but before the synthesis of meitnerium), IUPAC published recommendations according to which the element was to be called ''unnilennium'' (with the corresponding symbol of ''Une''),<ref name="iupac">{{cite journal|author=Chatt, J.|journal=Pure and Applied Chemistry|date=1979|volume=51|pages=381–384|title=Recommendations for the naming of elements of atomic numbers greater than 100|doi=10.1351/pac197951020381|issue=2|doi-access=free}}</ref> a [[Chemistry:Systematic element name|systematic element name]] as a placeholder, until the element was discovered (and the discovery then confirmed) and a permanent name was decided on. Although widely used in the chemical community on all levels, from chemistry classrooms to advanced textbooks, the recommendations were mostly ignored among scientists in the field, who either called it "element 109", with the symbol of ''E109'', ''(109)'' or even simply ''109'', or used the proposed name "meitnerium".<ref name="Haire" />

The naming of meitnerium was discussed in the [[Chemistry:Transfermium Wars|element naming controversy]] regarding the names of elements 104 to 109, but ''meitnerium'' was the only proposal and thus was never disputed.<ref name="IUPAC94" /><ref name=IUPAC97>{{Cite journal|doi=10.1351/pac199769122471|title=Names and symbols of transfermium elements (IUPAC Recommendations 1997)|date=1997|journal=Pure and Applied Chemistry|volume=69|pages=2471–2474|issue=12|author=Commission on Nomenclature of Inorganic Chemistry|url=http://publications.iupac.org/pac/pdf/1997/pdf/6912x2471.pdf}}</ref> The name ''meitnerium'' (Mt) was suggested by the GSI team in September 1992 in honor of the Austrian physicist [[Biography:Lise Meitner|Lise Meitner]], a co-discoverer of [[Chemistry:Protactinium|protactinium]] (with [[Biography:Otto Hahn|Otto Hahn]]),<ref>{{Cite journal
| doi = 10.1080/02841860050216016
| last1 = Bentzen | first1 = S. M.
| title = Lise Meitner and Niels Bohr—a historical note
| journal = Acta Oncologica
| volume = 39
| issue = 8
| pages = 1002–1003
| year = 2000
| pmid = 11206992
| doi-access = free
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal
| doi = 10.1001/jama.245.20.2021
| last1 = Kyle | first1 = R. A.
| last2 = Shampo | first2 = M. A.
| title = Lise Meitner
| journal = JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association
| volume = 245
| issue = 20
| pages = 2021
| year = 1981
| pmid = 7014939
| title-link = Lise Meitner }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal
| last1 = Frisch | first1 = O. R.
| title = Distinguished Nuclear Pioneer—1973. Lise Meitner
| journal = Journal of Nuclear Medicine
| volume = 14
| issue = 6
| pages = 365–371
| year = 1973
| pmid = 4573793
}}</ref><ref name="DoiX">{{cite journal|doi=10.1595/147106708X297486|title=The Periodic Table and the Platinum Group Metals|date=2008|last1=Griffith|first1=W. P.|journal=Platinum Metals Review|volume=52|issue=2|pages=114–119|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1021/cen-v081n036.p186|title=Meitnerium|date=2003|last1=Rife|first1=Patricia|journal=Chemical & Engineering News|volume=81|issue=36|pages=186}}</ref> and one of the discoverers of [[Physics:Nuclear fission|nuclear fission]].<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1021/ed078p889|title=Politics, Chemistry, and the Discovery of Nuclear Fission|date=2001|last1=Wiesner|first1=Emilie|last2=Settle|first2=Frank A.|journal=Journal of Chemical Education|volume=78|issue=7|pages=889|bibcode = 2001JChEd..78..889W }}</ref> In 1994 the name was recommended by IUPAC,<ref name="IUPAC94">{{cite journal|doi=10.1351/pac199466122419|title=Names and symbols of transfermium elements (IUPAC Recommendations 1994)|date=1994|journal=Pure and Applied Chemistry|volume=66|issue=12|pages=2419–2421|doi-access=free}}</ref> and was officially adopted in 1997.<ref name="IUPAC97" /> It is thus the only element named specifically after a non-mythological woman ([[Chemistry:Curium|curium]] being named for both [[Biography:Pierre Curie|Pierre]] and [[Biography:Marie Curie|Marie Curie]]).<ref>"Meitnerium is named for the Austrian physicist Lise Meitner." in [http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/109/meitnerium Meitnerium] in [http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table Royal Society of Chemistry – ''Visual Element Periodic Table'']. Retrieved August 14, 2015.</ref>

==Isotopes==
{{Main|Physics:Isotopes of meitnerium}}

Meitnerium has no stable or naturally occurring isotopes. Several radioactive isotopes have been synthesized in the laboratory, either by fusing two atoms or by observing the decay of heavier elements. Eight different isotopes of meitnerium have been reported with [[Chemistry:Mass number|mass number]]s 266, 268, 270, and 274–278, two of which, meitnerium-268 and meitnerium-270, have unconfirmed metastable states. A ninth isotope with mass number 282 is unconfirmed. Most of these decay predominantly through alpha decay, although some undergo spontaneous fission.<ref name="nuclidetable">{{cite web|url=http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/chart/reCenter.jsp?z=109&n=169|title=Interactive Chart of Nuclides|publisher=Brookhaven National Laboratory|author=Sonzogni, Alejandro|location=National Nuclear Data Center|access-date=2008-06-06|archive-date=March 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180307082344/http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/chart/reCenter.jsp?z=109&n=169|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Stability and half-lives===
{{Isotopes summary
|element=meitnerium
|reaction ref=<ref name=thoennessen2016>{{Thoennessen2016|pages=229, 234, 238}}</ref>
|isotopes=
{{isotopes summary/isotope
|mn=266 |sym=Mt |hl={{sort|1.2|1.2 ms}} |ref={{NUBASE2016|ref}}
|dm=α, SF |year=1982 |re=<sup>209</sup>Bi(<sup>58</sup>Fe,n)
}}
{{isotopes summary/isotope
|mn=268 |sym=Mt |hl={{sort|27|27 ms}} |ref={{NUBASE2016|name}}
|dm=α |year=1994 |re=<sup>272</sup>Rg(—,α)
}}
{{isotopes summary/isotope
|mn=270 |sym=Mt |hl={{sort|6.3|6.3 ms}} |ref={{NUBASE2016|name}}
|dm=α |year=2004 |re=<sup>278</sup>Nh(—,2α)
}}
{{isotopes summary/isotope
|mn=274 |sym=Mt |hl={{sort|640|640 ms}} |ref=<ref name=Mc2022>{{Cite journal |title=New isotope <sup>286</sup>Mc produced in the <sup>243</sup>Am+<sup>48</sup>Ca reaction |last1=Oganessian |first1=Yu. Ts. |last2=Utyonkov |first2=V. K. |last3=Kovrizhnykh |first3=N. D. |display-authors=et al. |date=2022 |journal=Physical Review C |volume=106 |number=64306 |page=064306 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevC.106.064306|bibcode=2022PhRvC.106f4306O |s2cid=254435744 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
|dm=α |year=2006 |re=<sup>282</sup>Nh(—,2α)
}}
{{isotopes summary/isotope
|mn=275 |sym=Mt |hl={{sort|20|20 ms}} |ref=<ref name=Mc2022/>
|dm=α |year=2003 |re=<sup>287</sup>Mc(—,3α)
}}
{{isotopes summary/isotope
|mn=276 |sym=Mt |hl={{sort|620|620 ms}} |ref=<ref name=Mc2022/>
|dm=α |year=2003 |re=<sup>288</sup>Mc(—,3α)
}}
{{isotopes summary/isotope
|mn=277 |sym=Mt |hl={{sort|5|5 ms}} |ref=<ref name="shesummary">{{cite journal|last=Oganessian|first=Y.T.|date=2015|title=Super-heavy element research|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273327193|journal=Reports on Progress in Physics|volume=78|issue=3|pages=036301|doi=10.1088/0034-4885/78/3/036301|pmid=25746203|bibcode=2015RPPh...78c6301O|s2cid=37779526 }}</ref>
|dm=SF |year=2012 |re=<sup>293</sup>Ts(—,4α)
}}
{{isotopes summary/isotope
|mn=278 |sym=Mt |hl={{sort|4500|4.5 s}} |ref=<ref name="shesummary" />
|dm=α |year=2010 |re=<sup>294</sup>Ts(—,4α)
}}
{{isotopes summary/isotope
|mn=282 |sym=Mt{{efn|name=nc|This isotope is unconfirmed}} |hl={{sort|66000|1.1 min}} |ref=<ref name="Hofmann2016" />
|dm=α |year=1998 |re=<sup>290</sup>Fl(e<sup>−</sup>,ν<sub>e</sub>2α)
}}}}

All meitnerium isotopes are extremely unstable and radioactive; in general, heavier isotopes are more stable than the lighter. The most stable known meitnerium isotope, <sup>278</sup>Mt, is also the heaviest known; it has a half-life of 4.5&nbsp;seconds. The unconfirmed <sup>282</sup>Mt is even heavier and appears to have a longer half-life of 67&nbsp;seconds. The isotopes <sup>276</sup>Mt and <sup>274</sup>Mt have half-lives of 0.62 and 0.64&nbsp;seconds respectively.<ref name=Mc2022/> The remaining five isotopes have half-lives between 1 and 20&nbsp;milliseconds.<ref name="nuclidetable" />

The isotope <sup>277</sup>Mt, created as the final decay product of <sup>293</sup>Ts for the first time in 2012, was observed to undergo [[Physics:Spontaneous fission|spontaneous fission]] with a half-life of 5 milliseconds. Preliminary data analysis considered the possibility of this fission event instead originating from <sup>277</sup>Hs, for it also has a half-life of a few milliseconds, and could be populated following undetected [[Physics:Electron capture|electron capture]] somewhere along the decay chain.<ref name="2012e117">{{Cite journal | last1 = Oganessian | first1 = Yuri Ts. | last2 = Abdullin | first2 = F. Sh. | last3 = Alexander | first3 = C. | last4 = Binder | first4 = J. | last5 = Boll | first5 = R. A. | last6 = Dmitriev | first6 = S. N. | last7 = Ezold | first7 = J. | last8 = Felker | first8 = K. | last9 = Gostic | first9 = J. M. | title = Experimental studies of the <sup>249</sup>Bk + <sup>48</sup>Ca reaction including decay properties and excitation function for isotopes of element 117, and discovery of the new isotope <sup>277</sup>Mt | doi = 10.1103/PhysRevC.87.054621 | journal = Physical Review C | publisher = American Physical Society | volume = 87 <!--| issue = 5 -->| pages = 054621 | number = 54621 | date = 2013-05-30 | bibcode = 2013PhRvC..87e4621O | display-authors = et al.| doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name="2019e117">{{cite journal |last1=Khuyagbaatar |first1=J. |last2=Yakushev |first2=A. |last3=Düllmann |first3=Ch.E. |last4=Ackermann |first4=D. |last5=Andersson |first5=L.-L. |last6=Asai |first6=M. |last7=Block |first7=M. |last8=Boll |first8=R.A. |last9=Brand |first9=H. |display-authors=et al. |date=2019 |title=Fusion reaction <sup>48</sup>Ca+<sup>249</sup>Bk leading to formation of the element Ts (''Z'' = 117) |journal=Physical Review C |volume=99 |issue=5 |pages=054306–1–054306–16 |url=https://jyx.jyu.fi/bitstream/handle/123456789/63921/1/khuyagbaatarym.pdf |doi=10.1103/PhysRevC.99.054306|bibcode=2019PhRvC..99e4306K |doi-access=free }}</ref> This possibility was later deemed very unlikely based on observed [[Physics:Decay energy|decay energies]] of <sup>281</sup>Ds and <sup>281</sup>Rg and the short half-life of <sup>277</sup>Mt, although there is still some uncertainty of the assignment.<ref name="2019e117" /> Regardless, the rapid fission of <sup>277</sup>Mt and <sup>277</sup>Hs is strongly suggestive of a region of instability for superheavy nuclei with [[Physics:Neutron number|''N'']]&nbsp;=&nbsp;168–170. The existence of this region, characterized by a decrease in [[Physics:Fission barrier|fission barrier]] height between the deformed [[Physics:Nuclear shell model|shell closure]] at ''N''&nbsp;=&nbsp;162 and spherical shell closure at ''N''&nbsp;=&nbsp;184, is consistent with theoretical models.<ref name="2012e117" />

==Predicted properties==
Other than nuclear properties, no properties of meitnerium or its compounds have been measured; this is due to its extremely limited and expensive production{{Efn|In the millions of dollars<ref name="Bloomberg">{{Cite web |last=Subramanian |first=S. |date=2019 |title=Making New Elements Doesn't Pay. Just Ask This Berkeley Scientist |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-08-28/making-new-elements-doesn-t-pay-just-ask-this-berkeley-scientist |archive-url=https://archive.today/20201114183428/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-08-28/making-new-elements-doesn-t-pay-just-ask-this-berkeley-scientist |archive-date=November 14, 2020 |url-status=live |access-date=2020-01-18 |website=Bloomberg Businessweek}}</ref>}} and the fact that meitnerium and its parents decay very quickly. Properties of meitnerium metal remain unknown and only predictions are available.

===Chemical===
Meitnerium is the seventh member of the 6d series of transition metals, and should be much like the platinum group metals.<ref name="DoiX" /> Calculations on its ionization potentials and [[Physics:Atomic radius|atomic]] and [[Chemistry:Ionic radius|ionic radii]] are similar to that of its lighter homologue [[Chemistry:Iridium|iridium]], thus implying that meitnerium's basic properties will resemble those of the other [[Chemistry:Group 9 element|group 9 element]]s, [[Chemistry:Cobalt|cobalt]], [[Chemistry:Rhodium|rhodium]], and iridium.<ref name="Haire" />

Prediction of the probable chemical properties of meitnerium has not received much attention recently. Meitnerium is expected to be a [[Chemistry:Noble metal|noble metal]]. The [[Chemistry:Standard electrode potential|standard electrode potential]] for the Mt<sup>3+</sup>/Mt couple is expected to be 0.8&nbsp;V. Based on the most stable oxidation states of the lighter group 9 elements, the most stable oxidation states of meitnerium are predicted to be the +6, +3, and +1 states, with the +3 state being the most stable in [[Chemistry:Aqueous solution|aqueous solution]]s. In comparison, rhodium and iridium show a maximum oxidation state of +6, while the most stable states are +4 and +3 for iridium and +3 for rhodium.<ref name="Haire" /> The oxidation state +9, represented only by iridium in [IrO<sub>4</sub>]<sup>+</sup>, might be possible for its congener meitnerium in the nonafluoride (MtF<sub>9</sub>) and the [MtO<sub>4</sub>]<sup>+</sup> cation, although [IrO<sub>4</sub>]<sup>+</sup> is expected to be more stable than these meitnerium compounds.<ref name="Mt(IX)" /> The tetrahalides of meitnerium have also been predicted to have similar stabilities to those of iridium, thus also allowing a stable +4 state.<ref name="MtX4" /> It is further expected that the maximum oxidation states of elements from bohrium (element 107) to [[Chemistry:Darmstadtium|darmstadtium]] (element 110) may be stable in the gas phase but not in aqueous solution.<ref name="Haire" />

===Physical and atomic===
Meitnerium is expected to be a solid under normal conditions and assume a face-centered cubic [[Chemistry:Crystal structure|crystal structure]], similarly to its lighter [[Chemistry:Congener|congener]] iridium.<ref name="bcc" /> It should be a very heavy metal with a [[Physics:Density|density]] of around 27–28&nbsp;g/cm<sup>3</sup>, which would be among the highest of any of the 118 known elements.<ref name="density" /><ref name="kratz" /> Meitnerium is also predicted to be [[Physics:Paramagnetic|paramagnetic]].<ref name="paramagnetic" />

Theoreticians have predicted the covalent radius of meitnerium to be 6 to 10&nbsp;pm larger than that of iridium.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1002/chem.200901472|pmid=19856342|title=Molecular Double-Bond Covalent Radii for Elements Li—E112|date=2009|last1=Pyykkö |first1=Pekka|last2=Atsumi|first2=Michiko|journal=Chemistry: A European Journal|volume=15|issue=46|pages=12770–9}}</ref> The atomic radius of meitnerium is expected to be around 128&nbsp;pm.{{Fricke1975}}

==Experimental chemistry==
Meitnerium is the first element on the periodic table whose chemistry has not yet been investigated. Unambiguous determination of the chemical characteristics of meitnerium has yet to have been established<ref name="Düllmann">{{cite journal |last1=Düllmann |first1=Christoph E. |date=2012 |title=Superheavy elements at GSI: a broad research program with element 114 in the focus of physics and chemistry |journal=Radiochimica Acta |volume=100 |issue=2 |pages=67–74 |doi=10.1524/ract.2011.1842 |s2cid=100778491 }}</ref><ref name="Mt-chemistry" /> due to the short half-lives of meitnerium isotopes<ref name="Haire" /> and a limited number of likely [[Chemistry:Volatility|volatile]] compounds that could be studied on a very small scale. One of the few meitnerium compounds that are likely to be sufficiently volatile is meitnerium hexafluoride ({{chem|MtF|6}}), as its lighter homologue [[Chemistry:Iridium hexafluoride|iridium hexafluoride]] ({{chem|IrF|6}}) is volatile above 60&nbsp;°C and therefore the analogous compound of meitnerium might also be sufficiently volatile;<ref name="DoiX" /> a volatile [[Chemistry:Octafluoride|octafluoride]] ({{chem|MtF|8}}) might also be possible.<ref name="Haire" /> For chemical studies to be carried out on a [[Physics:Transactinide element|transactinide]], at least four atoms must be produced, the half-life of the isotope used must be at least 1&nbsp;second, and the rate of production must be at least one atom per week.<ref name="DoiX" /> Even though the half-life of <sup>278</sup>Mt, the most stable confirmed meitnerium isotope, is 4.5&nbsp;seconds, long enough to perform chemical studies, another obstacle is the need to increase the rate of production of meitnerium isotopes and allow experiments to carry on for weeks or months so that statistically significant results can be obtained. Separation and detection must be carried out continuously to separate out the meitnerium isotopes and have automated systems experiment on the gas-phase and solution chemistry of meitnerium, as the yields for heavier elements are predicted to be smaller than those for lighter elements; some of the separation techniques used for [[Chemistry:Bohrium|bohrium]] and [[Chemistry:Hassium|hassium]] could be reused. However, the experimental chemistry of meitnerium has not received as much attention as that of the heavier elements from [[Chemistry:Copernicium|copernicium]] to [[Chemistry:Livermorium|livermorium]].<ref name="Haire" /><ref name="Düllmann" /><ref name="Eichler">{{cite journal |last=Eichler |first=Robert |date=2013 |title=First foot prints of chemistry on the shore of the Island of Superheavy Elements |journal=Journal of Physics: Conference Series |publisher=IOP Science |volume=420 |issue=1 |pages=012003 |doi=10.1088/1742-6596/420/1/012003 |arxiv=1212.4292 |bibcode=2013JPhCS.420a2003E |s2cid=55653705 }}</ref>

The [[Organization:Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory|Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory]] attempted to synthesize the isotope <sup>271</sup>Mt in 2002–2003 for a possible chemical investigation of meitnerium, because it was expected that it might be more stable than nearby isotopes due to having 162 [[Physics:Neutron|neutron]]s, a [[Physics:Magic number|magic number]] for deformed nuclei; its half-life was predicted to be a few seconds, long enough for a chemical investigation.<ref name="Haire" /><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Smolańczuk |first1=R. |date=1997 |journal=Phys. Rev. C |volume=56 |pages=812–24|doi=10.1103/PhysRevC.56.812 |title=Properties of the hypothetical spherical superheavy nuclei |issue=2|bibcode = 1997PhRvC..56..812S }}</ref><ref name="EvenInSitu" /> However, no atoms of <sup>271</sup>Mt were detected;<ref name="GSI2003">Zielinski P. M. et al. (2003). [http://www.gsi.de/informationen/wti/library/scientificreport2003/files/2.pdf "The search for <sup>271</sup>Mt via the reaction <sup>238</sup>U + <sup>37</sup>Cl"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206214022/http://www.gsi.de/informationen/wti/library/scientificreport2003/files/2.pdf |date=2012-02-06 }}, ''GSI Annual report''. Retrieved on 2008-03-01</ref> this isotope of meitnerium is currently unknown.<ref name="nuclidetable" />

An experiment determining the chemical properties of a transactinide would need to compare a compound of that transactinide with analogous compounds of some of its lighter homologues:<ref name="Haire" /> for example, in the chemical characterization of hassium, hassium tetroxide (HsO<sub>4</sub>) was compared with the analogous [[Chemistry:Osmium|osmium]] compound, [[Chemistry:Osmium tetroxide|osmium tetroxide]] (OsO<sub>4</sub>).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lch.web.psi.ch/files/anrep01/B-03heavies.pdf |title=Chemical investigation of hassium (Hs, Z=108) |author=Düllmann, Ch. E for a Univ. Bern - PSI - GSI - JINR - LBNL - Univ. Mainz - FZR - IMP - collaboration |access-date=15 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202092852/http://lch.web.psi.ch/files/anrep01/B-03heavies.pdf |archive-date=2 February 2014 }}</ref> In a preliminary step towards determining the chemical properties of meitnerium, the GSI attempted [[Sublimation (phase transition)|sublimation]] of the rhodium compounds [[Chemistry:Rhodium(III) oxide|rhodium(III) oxide]] (Rh<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>) and [[Chemistry:Rhodium(III) chloride|rhodium(III) chloride]] (RhCl<sub>3</sub>). However, macroscopic amounts of the oxide would not sublimate until 1000&nbsp;°C and the chloride would not until 780&nbsp;°C, and then only in the presence of [[Chemistry:Carbon|carbon]] aerosol particles: these temperatures are far too high for such procedures to be used on meitnerium, as most of the current methods used for the investigation of the chemistry of superheavy elements do not work above 500&nbsp;°C.<ref name="Mt-chemistry">{{cite web |url=http://lch.web.psi.ch/files/anrep01/B-06heavies.pdf |title=Thermatographic investigation of Rh and <sup>107</sup>Rh with different carrier gases |author=Haenssler, F. L. |author2=Düllmann, Ch. E. |author3=Gäggeler, H. W. |author4=Eichler, B |access-date=15 October 2012 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Following the 2014 successful synthesis of seaborgium hexacarbonyl, Sg(CO)<sub>6</sub>,<ref name="carbonyl">{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1126/science.1255720| pmid = 25237098| title = Synthesis and detection of a seaborgium carbonyl complex| journal = Science| volume = 345| issue = 6203| pages = 1491–3| year = 2014| last1 = Even | first1 = J.| last2 = Yakushev | first2 = A.| last3 = Dullmann | first3 = C. E.| last4 = Haba | first4 = H.| last5 = Asai | first5 = M.| last6 = Sato | first6 = T. K.| last7 = Brand | first7 = H.| last8 = Di Nitto | first8 = A.| last9 = Eichler | first9 = R.| last10 = Fan | first10 = F. L.| last11 = Hartmann | first11 = W.| last12 = Huang | first12 = M.| last13 = Jager | first13 = E.| last14 = Kaji | first14 = D.| last15 = Kanaya | first15 = J.| last16 = Kaneya | first16 = Y.| last17 = Khuyagbaatar | first17 = J.| last18 = Kindler | first18 = B.| last19 = Kratz | first19 = J. V.| last20 = Krier | first20 = J.| last21 = Kudou | first21 = Y.| last22 = Kurz | first22 = N.| last23 = Lommel | first23 = B.| last24 = Miyashita | first24 = S.| last25 = Morimoto | first25 = K.| last26 = Morita | first26 = K.| last27 = Murakami | first27 = M.| last28 = Nagame | first28 = Y.| last29 = Nitsche | first29 = H.| last30 = Ooe | first30 = K.| display-authors = 29| bibcode = 2014Sci...345.1491E| s2cid = 206558746}} {{subscription required}}</ref> studies were conducted with the stable transition metals of groups 7 through 9, suggesting that carbonyl formation could be extended to further probe the chemistries of the early 6d transition metals from rutherfordium to meitnerium inclusive.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Loveland |first=Walter |date=19 September 2014 |title=Superheavy carbonyls |journal=Science |volume=345 |issue=6203 |pages=1451–2 |doi= 10.1126/science.1259349|pmid=25237088 |bibcode=2014Sci...345.1451L |s2cid=35139846 }}</ref><ref>{{cite conference |url=http://www.epj-conferences.org/articles/epjconf/pdf/2016/26/epjconf-NS160-07008.pdf |title=Chemistry aided nuclear physics studies |last1=Even |first1=Julia |date=2016 |conference=Nobel Symposium NS160 – Chemistry and Physics of Heavy and Superheavy Elements |doi=10.1051/epjconf/201613107008|doi-access=free }}</ref> Nevertheless, the challenges of low half-lives and difficult production reactions make meitnerium difficult to access for radiochemists, though the isotopes <sup>278</sup>Mt and <sup>276</sup>Mt are long-lived enough for chemical research and may be produced in the decay chains of <sup>294</sup>[[Chemistry:Tennessine|Ts]] and <sup>288</sup>[[Chemistry:Moscovium|Mc]] respectively. <sup>276</sup>Mt is likely more suitable, since producing tennessine requires a rare and rather short-lived [[Chemistry:Berkelium|berkelium]] target.<ref name="Moody">{{cite book |chapter=Synthesis of Superheavy Elements |last1=Moody |first1=Ken |editor1-first=Matthias |editor1-last=Schädel |editor2-first=Dawn |editor2-last=Shaughnessy |title=The Chemistry of Superheavy Elements |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |edition=2nd |pages=24–8 |isbn=9783642374661|date=November 30, 2013 }}</ref> The isotope <sup>270</sup>Mt, observed in the decay chain of <sup>278</sup>Nh with a half-life of 0.69 seconds, may also be sufficiently long-lived for chemical investigations, though a direct synthesis route leading to this isotope and more precise measurements of its decay properties would be required.<ref name="EvenInSitu">{{cite journal |last=Even |first=J. |display-authors=et al. <!--49 co-authors omitted--> |date=2015 |title=In situ synthesis of volatile carbonyl complexes with short-lived nuclides |journal=Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry |volume=303 |issue=3 |pages=2457–2466 |doi=10.1007/s10967-014-3793-7 |s2cid=94969336 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273831463}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{cite journal |ref={{harvid|Audi et al.|2017}} |title=The NUBASE2016 evaluation of nuclear properties |doi=10.1088/1674-1137/41/3/030001 |last1=Audi |first1=G. |last2=Kondev |first2=F. G. |last3=Wang |first3=M. |last4=Huang |first4=W. J. |last5=Naimi |first5=S. |display-authors=3 |journal=Chinese Physics C |volume=41 |issue=3 <!--Citation bot deny-->|pages=030001 |year=2017
|bibcode=2017ChPhC..41c0001A }}<!--for consistency and specific pages, do not replace with {{NUBASE2016}}-->
* {{cite book|last=Beiser|first=A.|title=Concepts of modern physics|date=2003|publisher=McGraw-Hill|isbn=978-0-07-244848-1|edition=6th|oclc=48965418}}
* {{cite book |last1=Hoffman |first1=D. C. |last2=Ghiorso |first2=A. |author-link2=Albert Ghiorso |last3=Seaborg |first3=G. T. |title=The Transuranium People: The Inside Story |year=2000 |publisher=[[Company:World Scientific|World Scientific]] |isbn=978-1-78-326244-1}}
* {{cite book |last=Kragh |first=H. |date=2018 |title=From Transuranic to Superheavy Elements: A Story of Dispute and Creation |publisher=[[Company:Springer Science+Business Media|Springer]] |isbn=978-3-319-75813-8 }}
* {{cite journal|last1=Zagrebaev|first1=V.|last2=Karpov|first2=A.|last3=Greiner|first3=W.|date=2013|title=Future of superheavy element research: Which nuclei could be synthesized within the next few years?|journal=[[Physics:Journal of Physics: Conference Series|Journal of Physics]]|volume=420|issue=1|pages=012001|doi=10.1088/1742-6596/420/1/012001|arxiv=1207.5700|bibcode=2013JPhCS.420a2001Z|s2cid=55434734|issn=1742-6588}}

==External links==
* [http://www.periodicvideos.com/videos/109.htm Meitnerium] at ''The Periodic Table of Videos'' (University of Nottingham)

{{Periodic table (navbox)}}

[[Category:Chemical elements]]
[[Category:Chemical elements with face-centered cubic structure]]
[[Category:Synthetic elements]]
[[Category:Transition metals]]

{{Sourceattribution|Meitnerium}}