Bohrium
Element 107 · Transition Metal
Bohrium is the group 7 transactinide, expected to resemble rhenium. In landmark experiments, researchers studied the chemistry of only six atoms, showing bohrium forms a volatile oxychloride like its lighter homolog. Its longest-lived isotope survives about a minute. Properties are predicted, with very limited experimental data. Bohrium is intensely radioactive, decaying in about a minute.
Key facts
| Atomic number | 107 |
|---|---|
| Atomic weight | [270] |
| Category | Transition Metal |
| Group / Period | 7 / 7 |
| Block | d |
| Electron configuration | [Rn] 5f14 6d5 7s2 |
| Common oxidation states | +7 (predicted) |
| State at STP | Solid |
Occurrence
Bohrium is entirely synthetic, first made in 1981 at GSI Darmstadt by fusing chromium-54 with bismuth-209.
Applications
Few-atom chemistry experiments
Probing relativistic effects on volatility
No commercial applications
Common compounds
- Bohrium oxychloride (BhO3Cl, observed)
- Bohrium(VII) oxide (Bh2O7, predicted)
Bohrium is named after Niels Bohr, whose atomic model laid the foundation for understanding electron shells in heavy elements.
Data source: IUPAC standard atomic weights 2021