Man-Made Elements
The periodic table of elements contains a total of 118 elements. The majority of these elements occur naturally on planet earth, such as oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen and carbon. However, some of the more recently discovered elements are man-made, created in laboratories and particle accelerators to form ‘synthetic’ elements. The six naturally occurring chemical elements with the highest atomic numbers (atomic numbers from 118-123) are all man-made.
Man-made elements are made by bombarding the nucleus of a target atom with particles such as protons and neutrons. When these particles have enough energy to penetrate the nucleus, they can cause a nuclear reaction, eventually leading to the formation of a new, heavier atomic nucleus. This is a process known as ‘atom smashing’ or nuclear fusion, and scientists around the world use it to create new, artificial elements by artificially synthesizing atomic nuclei.
The elements, numbered 118-123, were all created by a team of scientists and engineers at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia. Ununnilium (atomic number 118), was first created in 2002, and researchers have since created element 119 (Ununennium) and element 120 (Unbinilium) using a superconducting linear accelerator. As of 2020, these remain the only three elements in the periodic table above atomic number 117 to be synthesized in the lab.
The elements created in the lab have a variety of applications and uses. These elements can be used to study nuclear science and nuclear physics. For example, research on the decay of element 118 can provide insights into the properties of heavy nuclei and help us understand how matter behaves in the center of a neutron star. Additionally, the existence of these elements allows us to probe the limits of nuclear stability, which can provide insight into possible new nuclear forces or principles.
Moreover, man-made elements can be used as fuel sources in nuclear reactors and as sources of energy in medical therapies. Ununnilium and Unbinilium, in particular, have been investigated for their potential use as fuel sources in advanced nuclear fusion reactors. These new elements also have potential applications in nanotechnology, drug delivery and medical research.
Despite their potential applications, the production of these elements is extremely expensive and difficult. The complex reaction that results in a new element is dependent on many variables such as the type of particle used, the energy of the particles, and the target atom. Furthermore, the resultant synthetic elements only exist for a fraction of a second before spontaneous decay occurs. All these factors make the synthesis and study of man-made elements difficult, expensive, and often necessarily inefficient processes.
In conclusion, the six elements with atomic numbers from 118-123 are all man-made and have been created in laboratories and particle accelerators. These elements have many potential applications, including nuclear science and nuclear physics research, fuel sources in reactors, and use in nanotechnology, drug delivery and medical research. Despite their potential, the production of these elements is a difficult and expensive process due to its dependence on without-characterizing conditions and the existence of a short-lived product.
