Seaborgium is a synthetic element with symbol Sg and atomic number 106. Its most stable isotope 271Sg has a half-life of 1.9 minutes. A more recently discovered isotope 269Sg has a potentially slightly longer half-life (ca.
Three reasons Seaborgium stands out
- 1
Named after a Nobel laureate in chemistry.
- 2
The scientist it was named after was still alive when the naming occurred, making it exceptionally rare to be honoured this way.
- 3
It was first synthesised in 1974 and only a handful of atoms have ever been produced.
A living scientist enters the periodic table
Seaborgium was named for Glenn Seaborg while he was still alive, an unusual honor that stirred debate. Experiments involving only a handful of atoms found volatile compounds resembling those of tungsten and molybdenum. Such results test whether periodic trends survive enormous nuclear charge.