Platinum is a chemical element with symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, gray-white transition metal. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina, which is literally translated into "little silver".
Three reasons Platinum stands out
- 1
Used in jewelry, catalytic converters, and fuel cells.
- 2
A compound of this metal called cisplatin is one of the most widely used and effective chemotherapy drugs in the world.
- 3
Spanish conquistadors initially dismissed it as inferior silver and called it "little silver" due to its appearance.
A noble metal that also fights cancer
Platinum is dense, workable, and exceptionally resistant to corrosion. Its surface catalyzes reactions in exhaust systems, fuel cells, and chemical plants. Platinum compounds behave very differently from the metal: cisplatin damages DNA and became one of medicine’s most important chemotherapy drugs.