Livermorium is a synthetic, highly radioactive superheavy element in group 16. It was first synthesized in 2000 by the JINR–LLNL collaboration and named to honor Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Only short-lived isotopes are known; bulk properties are largely unmeasured and many values are theoretical or unknown.
Livermorium (Lv) is a superheavy, synthetic p-block element with atomic number 116. It belongs to Group 16 (the chalcogens: O, S, Se, Te, Po) in period 7. Because it does not occur in nature, it is created atom-by-atom in particle accelerators.
Lv was first synthesized by the JINR–LLNL collaboration using fusion–evaporation reactions with a \(^{48}\mathrm{Ca}\) beam on a curium target. Stylized examples include:
\(^{248}\mathrm{Cm}(^{48}\mathrm{Ca},\,4n)\,^{292}\mathrm{Lv}\)
\(^{248}\mathrm{Cm}(^{48}\mathrm{Ca},\,3n)\,^{293}\mathrm{Lv}\)
The hot compound nucleus cools by evaporating neutrons (\(n\)) to reach a specific Lv isotope.
Freshly formed Lv atoms recoil out of the target into a physical/chemical separator and implant into position-sensitive detectors. Identification relies on time-correlated decay chains (mostly \(\alpha\) decays and sometimes spontaneous fission) with characteristic energies and lifetimes:
\(^{A}_{116}\mathrm{Lv} \;\xrightarrow{\alpha}\; ^{A-4}_{114}\mathrm{Fl} + \alpha \;\to\; ^{A-8}_{112}\mathrm{Cn} + \alpha \;\to\; \cdots\)
Observed isotopes cluster near \(A \approx 290\text{–}294\). Half-lives are typically milliseconds to seconds (occasionally reaching tens of seconds), long enough to register correlated decay chains but too short for conventional bulk measurements.
Due to strong relativistic effects that stabilize 7s electrons and split 7p orbitals, Lv is predicted to favor +2 in condensed-phase chemistry, with +4 accessible under strongly oxidizing conditions. This trend is more inert-pair-like than lighter chalcogens (e.g., S, Se), and even more pronounced than in Po.
A commonly cited ground state is [Rn] 5f14 6d10 7s2 7p4. Spin–orbit splitting divides the 7p subshell (\(7p_{1/2}\) vs. \(7p_{3/2}\)), helping to rationalize the stability of Lv(II) and its expected low reactivity compared with lighter group-16 elements.
Direct aqueous chemistry is not established due to extreme scarcity. Theory and single-atom gas-phase thermochromatography suggest that Lv may be relatively volatile and weakly adsorbing on noble surfaces, with possible formation of simple halides or oxohalides under highly controlled conditions.
Experiments produce only a few atoms that decay quickly, preventing preparation of macroscopic samples. Thus, properties like density, melting point, crystal structure, and color are inferred from relativistic quantum calculations and atom-at-a-time surface/gas-phase studies rather than measured directly.
Yes. Lv is a radiotoxic heavy element. Although handled in atom-scale quantities, work requires remote manipulation, hot cells or glove boxes, high-vacuum separators, appropriate shielding, HEPA-filtered ventilation, dosimetry, and compliant radioactive-waste procedures.
Production (stylized) followed by a representative \(\alpha\)-decay step:
\(^{248}\mathrm{Cm}(^{48}\mathrm{Ca},\,4n)\,^{292}\mathrm{Lv} \;\xrightarrow{\alpha}\; ^{288}\mathrm{Fl} + \alpha\)
Subsequent steps typically proceed via additional \(\alpha\) emissions and may end in spontaneous fission of a daughter nuclide.