Rutherfordium is a synthetic, highly radioactive transition metal. It does not occur in nature and is produced in particle accelerators. Only a few atoms are made at a time, so its bulk properties are largely unknown. Its chemistry is expected to resemble that of hafnium and zirconium.
Rutherfordium (Rf) is a synthetic element with atomic number 104. It is the first member of the 6d transition metals and belongs to Group 4, below titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), and hafnium (Hf).
Rf is created atom-by-atom in heavy-ion fusion reactions using particle accelerators. A stylized route uses curium or californium targets bombarded by oxygen or carbon ions; for example:
\(^{248}\mathrm{Cm}(^{18}\mathrm{O},\,x\,n)\,^{266-x}\mathrm{Rf}\)
Products are separated in-flight and identified by their alpha-decay chains and characteristic energies.
Like its congeners Zr and Hf, Rf is expected to prefer the +4 oxidation state. Volatility and extraction experiments with a few atoms suggest the formation of chlorides/oxychlorides analogous to Hf and Zr (e.g., RfCl4, complex anions under strongly chlorinating conditions).
Relativistic calculations and trend arguments support a ground-state configuration close to [Rn] 5f14 6d2 7s2. Participation of 6d/7s (and relativistic effects) guides its Group-4-like chemistry.
Only a few atoms can be produced at a time and they decay quickly. This prevents preparing macroscopic samples to measure properties like density, melting point, or crystal structure. Most information comes from atom-at-a-time chemistry and gas-phase or chromatography studies.
Atoms recoil out of the target and are separated by magnetic/electrostatic filters or gas jets. Identification relies on time-correlated alpha decays and known daughter chains. A simple decay notation is:
\(^{265}\mathrm{Rf} \;\to\; ^{261}\mathrm{No} + \alpha\)
Experiments indicate Rf tetrachloride (and possibly oxychlorides) exhibit volatility trends similar to HfCl4 under comparable conditions. This supports its placement as a true Group-4 analogue in halide chemistry.
Yes. Rf is a radiotoxic heavy metal. Although produced in vanishingly small amounts, all work is done in specialized hot cells or glove boxes with remote handling, HEPA-filtered ventilation, shielding, dosimetry, and compliant radioactive-waste procedures.
Rf was first reported in the late 1960s by teams in Dubna and Berkeley. After a period of naming controversy, the element was officially named Rutherfordium in honor of physicist Ernest Rutherford.
One example route is:
\(^{249}\mathrm{Cf}(^{12}\mathrm{C},\,4n)\,^{257}\mathrm{Rf}\)
Here, the compound nucleus evaporates n neutrons, leaving a specific Rf isotope that is then tracked via its decay chain.