In 2001, a joint IUPAC-IUPAP Working Party (JWP) confirmed the discovery of element number 110 and this by the collaboration of Hofmann et al. from the Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung mbH (GSI) in Darmstadt, Germany (Pure Appl. Chem. 73, 959-967 (2001)). The most relevant experiment resulted from the fusion-evaporation using a 62Ni beam on an isotopically enriched 208Pb target, which produced four chains of alpha-emitting nuclides following the presumed formation of 269110 + n. (S. Hofmann et al., Z. Phys. A350, 277-280 (1995)).
bombardment of lead with nickel ions 20882Pb + 6228Ni ----> 269110 (0.17 ms) + 10n
In a soon-to-be-published second report, the JWP has re-endorsed the confirmed synthesis of element 110 by the team at GSI led by Sigurd Hofmann.
In accordance with IUPAC procedures, the discoverers at the GSI were invited to propose a name and symbol for element 110 to the IUPAC Inorganic Chemistry Division. Hofmann's team proposed the name darmstadtium, with the symbol Ds. This name continues the long-established tradition of naming an element after the place of its discovery.
IUPAC was formed in 1919 by chemists from industry and academia. For nearly 85 years, the Union has succeeded in fostering worldwide communications in the chemical sciences and in uniting academic, industrial and public sector chemistry in a common language. IUPAC is recognized as the world authority on chemical nomenclature, terminology, standardized methods for measurement, atomic weights and many other critically evaluated data. More information about IUPAC and its activities is available at http://www.iupac.org.
For specific questions regarding the discovery and naming of Element 110, contact Prof. John Corish jcorish@tcd.ie or Dr. Gerd Rosenblatt grosenblatt@lbl.gov
Journal
Pure and Applied Chemistry