Condensed Astatine: Monatomic and Metallic

2013/09/12 by Andreas Hermann, Roald Hoffmann, N. W. Ashcroft · 6 citations
Chemistry · Medicine · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Chemical Physics Studies #Crystallography and molecular interactions #Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry and Applications

paper · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.111.116404

openalex publication_date 2013/09/12 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22

Abstract

The condensed matter properties of the nominal terminating element of the halogen group with atomic number 85, astatine, are as yet unknown. In the intervening more than 70 years since its discovery significant advances have been made in substrate cooling and the other techniques necessary for the production of the element to the point where we might now enquire about the key properties astatine might have if it attained a condensed phase. This subject is addressed here using density functional theory and structural selection methods, with an accounting for relativistic physics that is essential. Condensed astatine is predicted to be quite different in fascinating ways from iodine, being already at 1 atm a metal, and monatomic at that, and possibly a superconductor (as is dense iodine).

Citations

• From ultrasoft pseudopotentials to the projector augmented-wave method
• Generalized Gradient Approximation Made Simple
• Synthesis of a New Element with Atomic NumberZ=117
• Van der Waals Density Functional for General Geometries
• Semiempirical GGA‐type density functional constructed with a long‐range dispersion correction
• On the Possibility of a Metallic Modification of Hydrogen
• Efficient iterative schemes forab initiototal-energy calculations using a plane-wave basis set

Cited by

• Organising the metals and nonmetals
• Understanding Periodic and Non-periodic Chemistry in Periodic Tables
• Heavy metals [wikipedia]
• Lists of metalloids [wikipedia]
• Metalloid [wikipedia]
• Post-transition metal [wikipedia]
• Tennessine [wikipedia]