Tc

Technetium

Element 43 · 98.0 u

Transition Metal d-block Period 5 Group 7 Solid at RT Radioactive Synthetic Wikipedia →

Technetium was the first artificially produced element and has no stable isotopes.

Physical Properties

Atomic Mass98.0 u
Density11.5 g/cm³
Melting Point2430.0 K
Boiling Point4538.0 K
AppearanceShiny gray metallic
State at Room TempSolid

Chemical Properties

Electronegativity1.9 (Pauling)
1st Ionization Energy702.0 kJ/mol
Electron Affinity53.0 kJ/mol
Oxidation States+1, +2, +3, +4, +5, +6, +7

Atomic Properties

Electron Configuration[Kr] 4d5 5s2
Atomic Radius136.0 pm
Covalent Radius147.0 pm
Van der Waals Radius209.0 pm

Discovery

Discovered ByCarlo Perrier, Emilio Segre
Discovery Year1937
LocationPalermo, Italy
Named AfterGreek 'technetos' meaning artificial

About Technetium

Technetium is a silvery-gray radioactive metal. It was the first element produced artificially, by bombarding molybdenum with deuterons. Technetium-99m is the most widely used isotope in medical diagnostic imaging.

Uses & Applications

Medical imaging (Tc-99m in SPECT scans), nuclear medicine diagnostics, and steel corrosion inhibitor.

Fun Fact

Technetium was the first artificially created element, and tiny traces have been found in nature from spontaneous uranium fission.

Isotopes

Mass Number Abundance Half-Life Stable
97 - 4.21 million years No
98 - 4.2 million years No
99 - 211,100 years No

Electron Configuration

[Kr] 4d5 5s2

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