Essay 2: New Chemical Elements in This Century
The discovery of new chemical elements is one of the most exciting achievements in
modern science. Since the periodic table was first developed in the 19th century, it has
served as a powerful way to organize matter and understand chemical behavior. For many
people, the periodic table feels “complete,” because most of the elements needed for
daily life and industry were discovered long ago. However, the 21st century has proven that
the periodic table is still expanding. In this century alone, several new elements have been
officially confirmed and added, most of them belonging to the category known as
superheavy elements.
Unlike elements such as oxygen, iron, or gold, these new elements do not exist naturally on
Earth in significant quantities. They must be created artificially in laboratories using
advanced particle accelerators and nuclear reactors. These elements often exist for only
fractions of a second before decaying into lighter elements. Even so, their discovery is
extremely important. It pushes the boundaries of human knowledge, tests our
understanding of atomic structure, and helps scientists explore how matter behaves under
extreme conditions.
This essay discusses the new chemical elements discovered in the 21st century, the
scientific methods used to create them, the challenges involved, and why these
discoveries matter for chemistry and the future of science.
1. The Nature of New Elements in the 21st Century
The new elements discovered in this century are mainly located at the far end of the
periodic table. They are typically elements with atomic numbers greater than 100, which
means they have over 100 protons in their nuclei. These are called superheavy elements.
Superheavy elements are not stable because the strong repulsion between the many
positively charged protons makes the nucleus highly unstable. The strong nuclear force,
which holds the nucleus together, struggles to counteract this repulsion when the nucleus
becomes very large. As a result, superheavy elements tend to undergo radioactive decay
quickly, often through alpha decay or spontaneous fission.
Despite this instability, scientists believe there may be an “island of stability,” a theoretical
region of the periodic table where superheavy nuclei could have longer half-lives. This
would occur when the nucleus contains certain “magic numbers” of protons and
neutrons, giving it extra stability. Modern element discovery is partly motivated by the
search for this island.
2. How New Elements Are Created
New elements are created using nuclear fusion reactions. This involves colliding a lighter
nucleus with a heavier target nucleus at extremely high speeds. If the collision is
successful, the nuclei fuse into a heavier nucleus with a higher atomic number.
For example, to create a new element, scientists might take a target made of plutonium,
americium, curium, or berkelium and bombard it with ions such as calcium-48. Calcium-
48 is often used because it has a relatively high number of neutrons, which increases the
chances of producing a more stable superheavy nucleus.
However, successful fusion is incredibly rare. Most collisions simply result in the nuclei
bouncing apart rather than fusing. Even when fusion happens, the resulting nucleus may
exist for only milliseconds before decaying. This means that scientists often confirm the
existence of a new element by detecting its decay products, rather than by observing the
element directly.
3. The Newly Confirmed Elements of the 21st Century
In the 21st century, several elements have been officially recognized and named by the
International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). These include:
• Nihonium (Nh), atomic number 113
• Flerovium (Fl), atomic number 114
• Moscovium (Mc), atomic number 115
• Livermorium (Lv), atomic number 116
• Tennessine (Ts), atomic number 117
• Oganesson (Og), atomic number 118
These are the most significant additions to the periodic table in this century. Each
discovery involved years of work, international cooperation, and careful verification.
4. Nihonium (Element 113)
Nihonium is especially important because it was the first element discovered in Asia. It
was produced by scientists at the RIKEN institute in Japan. The name “Nihonium” comes
from “Nihon,” which is one of the Japanese words for Japan.
The discovery of Nihonium was significant not only scientifically but also culturally. It
showed that element discovery is not limited to a few Western laboratories. It also
represented the growing role of Asian research institutions in advanced nuclear science.
Nihonium is a member of group 13 of the periodic table, the same group as boron,
aluminum, gallium, indium, and thallium. In theory, it might share chemical properties with
these elements, but because it is extremely unstable, scientists have limited ability to
study its chemistry directly.
5. Flerovium (Element 114)
Flerovium was named after the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions in Russia. This
laboratory, located in Dubna, has played a major role in producing superheavy elements.
Flerovium belongs to group 14, alongside carbon, silicon, germanium, tin, and lead.
Scientists originally predicted that flerovium might behave like lead, but modern theories
suggest its behavior could be unusual. This is because in superheavy elements, relativistic
effects become very strong.
Relativistic effects occur when electrons move at speeds close to the speed of light due to
the strong attraction of the nucleus. These effects change electron orbitals and can alter
chemical behavior. For example, flerovium may be less reactive than expected, possibly
behaving like a noble gas in some ways.
This shows that the discovery of new elements is not just about adding names to the
periodic table. It also tests the limits of chemical theory.
6. Moscovium (Element 115)
Moscovium was named after the Moscow region, where the Dubna laboratory is located. It
belongs to group 15, which includes nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, and
bismuth.
Like other superheavy elements, moscovium is produced in particle accelerators and
exists only briefly. Its isotopes have half-lives ranging from milliseconds to fractions of a
second.
However, moscovium is important because it lies near the predicted island of stability.
Scientists hope that as they create elements with slightly higher atomic numbers and more
neutrons, they may eventually reach nuclei that last longer.
7. Livermorium (Element 116)
Livermorium was named after Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the United
States. Its discovery was the result of collaboration between American and Russian
scientists.
Livermorium is in group 16, with oxygen, sulfur, selenium, tellurium, and polonium. Its
predicted chemistry is influenced heavily by relativistic effects.
In lighter group 16 elements, reactivity generally increases as you move down the group,
but superheavy elements may not follow this trend neatly. Livermorium might have
unusual bonding behavior compared to polonium.
Even though livermorium cannot be produced in large amounts, studying it helps scientists
test predictions about chemical periodicity. It also helps refine models of nuclear
structure.
8. Tennessine (Element 117)
Tennessine was named after the US state of Tennessee, recognizing contributions from
institutions such as Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Vanderbilt University.
Tennessine is part of group 17, the halogens. The halogens are known for being very
reactive elements, especially fluorine and chlorine. However, scientists predict that
tennessine may not behave like a typical halogen.
This is because the outer electrons of superheavy elements experience strong relativistic
effects, which can reduce their tendency to participate in chemical reactions. Some
predictions suggest tennessine may behave more like a metalloid than a reactive halogen.
This is a major scientific interest: if an element does not behave like its group suggests, it
challenges the traditional understanding of periodic trends.
9. Oganesson (Element 118)
Oganesson is the heaviest element currently confirmed. It was named after Yuri
Oganessian, a physicist who played a major role in superheavy element research.
Oganesson is in group 18, the noble gases. Noble gases are known for being extremely
unreactive because their outer electron shells are full. But oganesson is predicted to
behave differently.
The electrons in oganesson are strongly affected by relativistic effects, and this may make
oganesson more reactive than lighter noble gases such as helium, neon, or argon. Some
theories even suggest it might be a solid at room temperature, unlike other noble gases,
which are gases.
Oganesson demonstrates how superheavy elements can break familiar patterns, making
the study of these elements scientifically valuable.
10. The Process of Official Recognition
Creating a new element is not enough; it must be verified and recognized. The discovery
process involves:
1. Producing the element in a lab
2. Detecting its decay chain
3. Confirming that the decay products match known isotopes
4. Repeating experiments to ensure reliability
5. Submitting evidence to scientific bodies
6. Having the discovery reviewed and approved by IUPAC
This process can take many years. Scientists must prove that they created a nucleus with a
specific number of protons. Because the element may exist for only milliseconds, this is
extremely challenging.
11. Why These Discoveries Matter
Some people may wonder why scientists spend so much time and money creating
elements that last only seconds. The importance is deeper than practical use.
First, these discoveries improve our understanding of nuclear physics. They test models of
nuclear forces and stability. They also help scientists explore the boundaries of matter.
Second, they test chemical theory. Superheavy elements challenge the periodic table’s
trends because of relativistic effects. Studying them helps scientists refine the rules that
govern electron behavior and chemical bonding.
Third, the search for the island of stability could lead to the discovery of elements with
longer half-lives. If such elements exist, they might eventually have practical uses. Even if
they do not, proving whether the island exists is one of the most important questions in
modern nuclear chemistry.
12. Future Possibilities: Beyond Element 118
Scientists continue to attempt the creation of elements 119 and 120. These elements
would begin a new period of the periodic table. However, creating them is extremely
difficult.
As atomic number increases, fusion becomes less likely because the repulsive force
between nuclei grows stronger. This makes it harder for nuclei to get close enough to fuse.
Also, suitable target materials become rarer and harder to produce.
If elements beyond 118 are created, they may have even shorter half-lives. Still, even a
brief detection would be a major scientific achievement.
Conclusion
The 21st century has been a major era for the expansion of the periodic table. Elements
such as nihonium, flerovium, moscovium, livermorium, tennessine, and oganesson have
been confirmed and named, extending the known limits of matter. These discoveries have
been possible only through advanced nuclear technology, international collaboration, and
careful experimental verification.
Although these elements are extremely unstable, their discovery is scientifically valuable.
They provide insight into nuclear stability, the forces that hold atoms together, and the way
electron behavior changes under extreme conditions. They also challenge traditional
chemical trends, showing that the periodic table is not just a simple pattern but a complex
and evolving structure.
In the future, scientists may succeed in producing elements 119 and 120, and possibly
reach the predicted island of stability. Whether or not such stable superheavy elements
exist, the pursuit itself continues to push human knowledge forward.
Ultimately, the discovery of new chemical elements in this century is a reminder that
science is not finished. Even in a world where most natural elements have been known for
centuries, humanity still has the ability to create new matter, explore the unknown, and
expand the boundaries of chemistry.