What is element 113 (Nihonium)?

Element 113, officially named Nihonium (Nh), is a synthetic chemical element with the atomic number 113 on the periodic table. It was discovered by Japanese scientists at RIKEN in 2004-2005 and officially recognized in 2016. Nihonium is a superheavy, highly radioactive element that doesn't occur naturally on Earth and must be created in laboratories using particle accelerators. It belongs to group 13 of the periodic table and is classified as a post-transition metal.

Who discovered element 113 (Nihonium)?

Element 113 (Nihonium) was discovered by a team of Japanese scientists at the RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science, led by Kosuke Morita. The team first reported creating the element in 2004 by bombarding bismuth with zinc ions, but conclusive evidence was obtained in 2012 after additional experiments. RIKEN was officially credited with the discovery by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) in December 2015, making Nihonium the first element discovered in Asia.

Why is element 113 called Nihonium?

Element 113 is called Nihonium (Nh) in honor of Japan, where it was discovered. The name derives from 'Nihon,' which means 'Japan' or 'Land of the Rising Sun' in Japanese. After being credited with the discovery, the team at RIKEN proposed the name Nihonium, which was officially approved by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) in November 2016. This made Nihonium the first element to be discovered and named by Asian scientists.

Element 113 (Nihonium): Properties, Discovery, and Applications

Basic Information and Properties of Nihonium

Nihonium (Nh) is element 113 on the periodic table and is one of the newest official additions to the list of known chemical elements. Here's what we know about its basic properties:

Basic Properties of Element 113 (Nihonium)

Symbol	Nh
Atomic Number	113
Element Category	Post-transition metal (predicted)
Group in Periodic Table	Group 13 (Group IIIA)
Period in Periodic Table	Period 7
Block in Periodic Table	p-block
Electron Configuration	[Rn] 5f¹⁴ 6d¹⁰ 7s² 7p¹ (predicted)
Natural Occurrence	Synthetic (not found in nature)
State at Room Temperature	Solid (predicted)
Discovery	2004-2005 (RIKEN, Japan)
Named by	RIKEN team led by Kosuke Morita
IUPAC Recognition	2015 (name approved in 2016)

Physical and Nuclear Properties

Atomic Mass	[286] u (most stable isotope)
Most Stable Isotope	Nihonium-286
Half-life of Nh-286	~20 seconds
Density	16 g/cm³ (predicted)
Melting Point	430°C / 806°F (predicted)
Boiling Point	1,100°C / 2,012°F (predicted)
Decay Mode	Alpha decay
Decay Product	Roentgenium (element 111)

Note: Many properties are theoretical predictions as the element's extreme instability and scarcity make direct measurement difficult or impossible.

Position in the Periodic Table

Nihonium occupies a significant position in the periodic table:

It's located in Group 13 (formerly Group IIIA), making it part of the boron family
Other elements in this group include boron (B), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), indium (In), and thallium (Tl)
As a p-block element in Period 7, it's among the heaviest elements currently known
Based on periodic trends, Nihonium is predicted to be a post-transition metal with properties somewhat similar to thallium, though with significant relativistic effects that may alter its behavior

Discovery and Naming of Element 113

The discovery of element 113 represents a significant milestone in chemistry and nuclear physics, particularly for Asian science.

The Discovery Process

The path to discovering element 113 was long and challenging:

First Experiments (2003-2004): The team at RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science in Japan, led by Dr. Kosuke Morita, began experiments attempting to synthesize element 113
Initial Detection (July 23, 2004): First successful production of element 113 was achieved by bombarding bismuth-209 atoms with zinc-70 ions at the RIKEN Linear Accelerator Laboratory
Reaction Used: ²⁰⁹Bi + ⁷⁰Zn → ²⁷⁸Nh + 1n (a neutron is released)
Confirmation (2005): A second successful synthesis was reported
Definitive Evidence (2012): After years of additional experiments, the team produced a third atom of element 113, providing conclusive identification through its decay chain
Competing Claims: During this period, a joint team from the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna, Russia, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the US also claimed to have evidence for element 113 through different experiments
Official Recognition (December 31, 2015): After reviewing all evidence, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) officially credited the RIKEN team with the discovery

A Historic Achievement for Asian Science

The discovery of element 113 marked several important firsts:

It was the first element discovered in an Asian country
It represented the first time Asian scientists were given naming rights for a new element
It helped establish Japan as a major player in nuclear science
It demonstrated the capabilities of RIKEN's particle accelerator technology

The Naming Process

After being credited with the discovery, the RIKEN team earned the right to propose a name for element 113:

Temporary Designation: Before receiving its official name, element 113 was temporarily known as ununtrium (Uut), based on the systematic element naming protocol
Name Proposal (March 2016): The RIKEN team proposed the name "nihonium" with the symbol "Nh"
Etymology: The name comes from "Nihon" (日本), one of the Japanese names for Japan, meaning "Land of the Rising Sun"
Public Review Period: IUPAC opened the proposed name for a five-month public review
Official Approval (November 30, 2016): IUPAC officially approved the name nihonium and symbol Nh

"Now that we have conclusively demonstrated the existence of element 113, we plan to look to the uncharted territory of element 119 and beyond."
— Dr. Kosuke Morita, Leader of the RIKEN discovery team

How Nihonium is Created

Creating superheavy elements like nihonium requires cutting-edge nuclear physics technology and specialized facilities.

The Synthesis Process

Nihonium can't be found in nature—it must be synthesized through nuclear reactions:

Primary Creation Method

The RIKEN team used a "cold fusion" approach:

Target Preparation: A thin foil of bismuth-209 (a relatively stable heavy element) serves as the target
Projectile Acceleration: Zinc-70 ions are accelerated to approximately 10% of the speed of light using the RIKEN Linear Accelerator
Collision: These zinc ions bombard the bismuth target at precise energies
Nuclear Fusion: In extremely rare instances (roughly one successful event per day or longer), a zinc nucleus completely fuses with a bismuth nucleus
Neutron Emission: The resulting compound nucleus releases a neutron, forming nihonium-278
Detection: The nihonium atom, being highly unstable, quickly undergoes radioactive decay, producing a characteristic decay chain that scientists can detect and analyze

The RIKEN Linear Accelerator Facility

The creation of nihonium required specialized equipment:

The RILAC (RIKEN Linear Accelerator) facility in Wako, Japan
The GARIS (Gas-Filled Recoil Ion Separator) used to separate and identify the synthesized atoms
Sophisticated detection systems that can identify decay products
Ultra-sensitive equipment capable of detecting single atoms

Extreme Rarity

Creating nihonium is extraordinarily difficult:

The probability of successful fusion is extremely low
The RIKEN team ran experiments for many years to produce just a few atoms
The first synthesis took 80 days of continuous operation to produce a single atom
Only a handful of nihonium atoms have ever been created worldwide
The cost of producing a single atom is estimated to be in the millions of dollars

Research Challenges

The extreme rarity and instability of nihonium make it practically impossible to collect enough atoms to form a visible amount of the element. This poses significant challenges for studying its chemical and physical properties directly. Most of what we know about nihonium comes from theoretical predictions and observations of its decay rather than direct experimentation with the element itself.

Isotopes and Nuclear Stability

Like other superheavy elements, nihonium exists in multiple isotopic forms, all of which are highly unstable.

Known Isotopes of Nihonium

Several isotopes of nihonium have been observed or predicted:

Isotope	Mass Number	Half-life	Decay Mode
Nihonium-278	278	~0.24 milliseconds	Alpha decay to Roentgenium-274
Nihonium-282	282	~70 milliseconds	Alpha decay to Roentgenium-278
Nihonium-283	283	~0.1 seconds	Alpha decay to Roentgenium-279
Nihonium-284	284	~0.48 seconds	Alpha decay to Roentgenium-280
Nihonium-286	286	~20 seconds	Alpha decay to Roentgenium-282
Nihonium-287	287	~5 seconds (predicted)	Alpha decay (predicted)

The "Island of Stability"

Nuclear physicists have long predicted the existence of an "island of stability" among superheavy elements:

This refers to a region of the periodic table where superheavy elements might have significantly longer half-lives
It's predicted to occur around elements with proton numbers near 114, 120, or 126, and neutron numbers near 184
Nihonium (element 113) sits at the edge of this theoretical region
The relatively longer half-life of nihonium-286 (approximately 20 seconds) compared to lighter isotopes provides some support for this theory
Each new isotope discovered helps scientists refine their understanding of nuclear stability in this region

Nuclear Decay Chain

When nihonium decays, it starts a sequence of decay events:

Nihonium-286 undergoes alpha decay (emitting a helium nucleus), becoming roentgenium-282
Roentgenium-282 undergoes alpha decay, becoming meitnerium-278
This process continues down the periodic table
Tracking this decay chain provides important confirmation of the original element's identity
The RIKEN team's conclusive 2012 experiment was significant because they observed the complete decay chain down to known elements, confirming the production of nihonium

Theoretical Chemical Properties

Due to its extreme rarity and instability, the chemical properties of nihonium must be largely predicted based on its position in the periodic table and quantum mechanical calculations.

Expected Characteristics

Based on its position in Group 13 of the periodic table, nihonium would be expected to show similarities to other elements in this group, particularly thallium, but with important differences:

Predicted Physical Properties

Likely to be a solid, post-transition metal at room temperature
Expected to have a silvery appearance (if enough could be produced to see)
Predicted to have a density of around 16 g/cm³ (similar to lead)
Theoretical melting point around 430°C (806°F)
Theoretical boiling point around 1,100°C (2,012°F)

Predicted Chemical Behavior

Expected to form a +3 oxidation state (like other Group 13 elements)
May also potentially form a +1 oxidation state (similar to thallium)
Likely to be less reactive than lighter elements in its group
Would probably form compounds with halogens, oxygen, and sulfur
Expected to be a relatively soft, malleable metal

Relativistic Effects

One of the most interesting aspects of superheavy elements like nihonium is the influence of relativistic effects on their chemical behavior:

The extremely high positive charge in the nucleus causes the innermost electrons to move at speeds approaching a significant fraction of the speed of light
According to Einstein's theory of relativity, this causes the electrons to gain mass
This increased mass changes the size and energy of electron orbitals
These relativistic effects can cause superheavy elements to have chemical properties quite different from what would be expected based solely on their position in the periodic table
For nihonium, calculations suggest these effects might stabilize the +1 oxidation state over the +3 state in some environments

Comparison with Other Group 13 Elements

The trend among Group 13 elements shows interesting patterns that might extend to nihonium:

Element	Atomic Number	Common Oxidation States	Metallic Character
Boron (B)	5	+3	Metalloid
Aluminum (Al)	13	+3	Metal
Gallium (Ga)	31	+3	Metal
Indium (In)	49	+3, (+1 less common)	Metal
Thallium (Tl)	81	+1, (+3 less common)	Metal
Nihonium (Nh)	113	+1, +3 (predicted)	Metal (predicted)

The trend shows increasing stability of the +1 oxidation state moving down the group, which may continue with nihonium.

Scientific Significance and Potential Applications

Although nihonium's extreme instability and rarity mean it has no practical applications in everyday life, its discovery and study have significant scientific importance.

Contributions to Scientific Knowledge

Research on element 113 advances several scientific fields:

Nuclear Physics: Helps validate theories about nuclear structure and stability in superheavy elements
Quantum Chemistry: Provides real-world test cases for quantum mechanical predictions about electron behavior under extreme conditions
Relativistic Chemistry: Offers insights into how relativistic effects influence chemical properties
Periodic Table Completion: Fills gaps in our understanding of periodic trends and element behavior
Synthesis Techniques: Advances methods for creating and detecting superheavy elements

Testing Theoretical Models

Creating and studying nihonium allows scientists to test fundamental theoretical models:

The successful synthesis confirms aspects of nuclear shell models
The observed decay chains help validate predictions about nuclear stability
The increasing half-lives of heavier isotopes provide evidence supporting the theorized "island of stability"
Each new superheavy element helps refine our understanding of the limits of the periodic table

Future Research Directions

The discovery of nihonium opens several avenues for further research:

Attempts to create even heavier isotopes of nihonium with potentially longer half-lives
Development of more efficient methods for superheavy element synthesis
Creation of nihonium compounds to study its chemical behavior (if sufficient quantities could ever be produced)
Using insights from nihonium to predict properties of yet-undiscovered elements
Exploration of elements beyond nihonium (elements 119 and beyond are current frontiers)

"The chemistry of superheavy elements offers us a unique glimpse into a world where quantum physics and relativity together determine chemical properties. Each new element we discover is another piece in this fascinating puzzle."
— Anonymous Nuclear Chemist

Frequently Asked Questions

How many atoms of nihonium have ever been created?

Only a handful of nihonium atoms have ever been created worldwide. The original RIKEN experiments that led to the discovery produced just three confirmed atoms of nihonium over several years of experiments. Since then, additional experiments at RIKEN and potentially other facilities may have produced a few more atoms, but the total number created throughout human history is likely fewer than 20 atoms. This extreme rarity is due to the immense difficulty of creating superheavy elements through nuclear fusion and the very low probability of successful synthesis events. Each atom typically requires days or weeks of continuous operation of particle accelerators.

Could nihonium ever have practical applications?

It's extremely unlikely that nihonium will ever have practical applications outside of fundamental scientific research. There are several reasons for this: First, its extreme instability means it decays within seconds of creation. Second, the enormous difficulty and expense of producing even a single atom make it impractical for any technological use. Third, its radioactive nature would make handling dangerous if larger quantities could somehow be produced. Unlike some other synthetic elements (like americium used in smoke detectors), nihonium's half-life is far too short for any practical device or material. Its value lies almost entirely in the scientific knowledge gained from studying its properties and behavior.

Why are new elements like nihonium still being discovered?

New elements continue to be discovered as part of humanity's fundamental quest to understand the boundaries of matter and the laws of physics. Specifically, scientists are interested in: 1) Testing theoretical limits of the periodic table and nuclear stability; 2) Exploring the predicted "island of stability" where superheavy elements might have longer half-lives; 3) Observing relativistic effects on chemical properties that become more pronounced in heavy elements; 4) Advancing nuclear synthesis techniques and detection methods; and 5) Expanding our understanding of the fundamental forces and structures that govern atomic nuclei. Each new element discovery helps complete our understanding of matter and allows us to test and refine theoretical models of physics and chemistry.

How does the naming of new elements work?

The naming process for new elements follows a structured protocol overseen by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). When a new element is first synthesized, it receives a temporary systematic name based on its atomic number (like "ununtrium" for element 113, meaning "one-one-three-ium"). After sufficient evidence confirms the element's existence, IUPAC officially recognizes the discovery and credits a specific research team. That team then has the right to propose a permanent name, following certain guidelines: names can be based on mythological concepts, minerals, places, countries, properties, or scientists. The proposed name undergoes a public review period before final approval. In nihonium's case, the name honors Japan ("Nihon"), where it was discovered, making it the first element named after an Asian country.

Is element 113 dangerous?

While element 113 (nihonium) is highly radioactive and would be dangerous if significant quantities existed, the practical danger is essentially zero for several reasons. The extreme rarity of nihonium—with only a few atoms ever created—means no one could ever be exposed to harmful amounts. Additionally, its very short half-life (seconds) means it rapidly decays before substantial exposure could occur. The atoms created in laboratories exist only momentarily within highly controlled detection equipment, not in forms that would allow human contact. The greatest safety considerations actually involve the facilities and processes used to create superheavy elements, which require proper radiation protection measures, rather than the elements themselves. In short, nihonium poses no practical danger to the public or even to most scientists.