Decoding Promethium: The mysterious man-made element from the Manhattan Project

The chemical element Promethium is one of the most difficult elements to study in the scientific world due to its high radioactivity and instability.

Chemical elements of the nuclear age

Promethium , with atomic number 61, exists in nature only in very small quantities. The Earth's crust contains only about half a kilogram of this element.

Researchers first discovered promethium by producing it in 1945 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee during the Manhattan Project's plutonium enrichment program. It was named after the Greek giant Prometheus, who stole fire and brought it to humans because nuclear energy is considered the second birth of controlled fire - or at least one. civilization has a similar influence on human civilization.

Promethium is a man-made element forged in the furnace of the Manhattan Project.

Promethium, "fire of the gods", was an artificial element forged in the furnace of the Manhattan Project , the secret project to develop the atomic bomb during World War II. After more than 70 years of hiding in the shadows, promethium has gradually revealed the mysteries of its chemical properties and applications, opening new doors for science and technology.

However, the journey to discovering promethium was long and full of false starts. Before the official discovery of this element, scientists suspected the existence of an element with atomic number 61 due to gaps in the periodic table. In the early 1900s, several claims of discovery were made, but none could be substantiated with conclusive evidence.

It wasn't until 1945, during the height of World War II and the Manhattan Project, that promethium was finally isolated. Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, led by Jacob A. Marinsky, Lawrence E. Glendenin and Charles D. Coryell, identified promethium while analyzing analytical byproducts of the process. uranium core in a nuclear reactor.

But because the project is secret, this discovery was not announced immediately. Only after the war ended were these findings announced and the existence of promethium officially confirmed.

After the war ended, the existence of promethium was officially confirmed.

Studying the chemical properties of promethium is difficult due to its short existence. Scientists had to use the most advanced techniques at the time to collect enough data for research.

Promethium is now routinely produced from the radioactive decay of uranium , although in very small quantities. Promethium can be used in simple compounds to produce luminous paint or nuclear batteries. However, its highly radioactive nature makes promethium unstable. This instability complicates the formation of long-lasting compounds, which are necessary for detailed study. Furthermore, its crystal structure exerts forces on promethium's chemical bonds, obscuring its underlying chemical composition.

Alexander Ivanov and his colleagues at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have now overcome these challenges. They created promethium compound in water. This method reduces some of the harmful effects of radiation and avoids the obscuring effect of the crystal structure. As a result, the team was able to study the element's chemistry in detail for the first time.

Promethium can be used in simple compounds to produce luminous paint or nuclear batteries.

" Because it has no stable isotopes, promethium was the last lanthanide element to be discovered and the most difficult to study," said Dr. Ilja Popovs, also from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

"There are thousands of publications on the chemistry of lanthanides without promethium, and there is a glaring gap in the entire science," said Dr. Santa Jansone-Popova from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Earth's crust contains only about half a kilogram of this element.

Breakthrough with PyDGA

The researchers synthesized a compound called bispyrrolidine diglycolamide (PyDGA) , which is known to form stable compounds with elements similar to promethium. When promethium is introduced into solution, it forms Pm-PyDGA , a compound with a striking bright pink color due to its electron structure.

To probe its chemical bond, Ivanov and his team then shined X-rays at the compound and measured the frequencies it absorbed. This shows how promethium is chemically bonded. The bond length between promethium and nearby oxygen atoms is about a quarter of a nanometer, consistent with their computer simulations.

"It's quite a beautiful chemical reaction and seeing the delicate pink color of this complex is a real joy," Andrea Sella at University College London told New Scientist.

The unique properties of the promethium compound may provide a longer lasting source of energy.

Information on the binding properties of promethium will help improve the process for producing purer samples in larger quantities from radioactive waste. This could lead to the design of new medical compounds, such as those used in radiography or cancer treatment. "This kind of basic information can help us advance new technologies," Ivanov said .

Furthermore, this research could impact the development of nuclear batteries and light-emitting materials. The unique properties of promethium compounds can provide a more efficient and longer-lasting source of power and light, which is important in remote or harsh environments where traditional energy sources do not work. .

These findings appear in the journal Nature.