Moscovium
Element 115 · Post-Transition Metal
Moscovium is the group 15 transactinide, the superheavy counterpart of bismuth. First produced in 2004 by a Russian-American collaboration at Dubna, it was made by bombarding americium-243 with calcium-48 ions. Only dozens of atoms have ever been detected, decaying within a fraction of a second. Theory predicts it will be denser and more metallic than bismuth. Properties are predicted, with very limited experimental data. Moscovium is intensely radioactive, decaying within a fraction of a second.
Key facts
| Atomic number | 115 |
|---|---|
| Atomic weight | [290] |
| Category | Post-Transition Metal |
| Group / Period | 15 / 7 |
| Block | p |
| Electron configuration | [Rn] 5f14 6d10 7s2 7p3 (predicted) |
| Common oxidation states | +3 (predicted) |
| State at STP | Solid |
Occurrence
Moscovium is entirely synthetic, produced in particle accelerators at Dubna and later at other facilities.
Applications
Decay-chain studies leading to nihonium
Research on superheavy nuclear stability
No commercial applications
Common compounds
- Moscovium compounds (predicted, none observed)
Moscovium is named after the Moscow region of Russia, home to the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research at Dubna.
Data source: IUPAC standard atomic weights 2021