Abstract
THE Czechoslovak newspapers reported on July 5 that an element of higher atomic weight than uranium has been discovered in Joachimsthal pitchblende by Dr. O. Koblic. The element has been assigned the atomic number 93 and its atomic weight has been found to be 240 from an analysis of the silver salt, Ag(93)O4. The new element would be a congener of manganese and of rhenium, which was discovered in 1925. It should thus form an acid analogous to HReO4 and also salts similar to the permanganates and perrhenates. Acting upon the supposition that the sodium salt of H(93)O4 would be very soluble, Dr. Koblic concentrated the mother liquor from the alkali treatment of pitchblende in the extraction of uranium and radium compounds, and the acidified filtrate was precipitated first with silver nitrate and finally with thallium nitrate. This gave the expected T1(93)O4 as a red crystalline precipitate. It was re-converted into the more soluble yellow silver salt, 115 milligrams of which were obtained. The discoverer has suggested the name “Bohemium” for the new element, which he considers is probably the parent element of protactinium and the disintegration products of the actinium series. It is estimated that crude pitchblende contains about one per cent of the new element. It will be recalled that Prof. E. Fermi, of Rome, who is investigating the products of neutron bombardment of various elements, recently reported the discovery of an element of atomic weight exceeding that of uranium (see NATURE, June 16, p. 898).
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A New Radioactive Element beyond Uranium. Nature 134, 55 (1934). https://doi.org/10.1038/134055b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/134055b0