Nobelium Coordination Chemistry*

It is anticipated that traditional periodic trends will not hold for heavy elements due to the onset of relativistic effects. As a result, these elements may exhibit distinct chemical properties compared to their lighter counterparts. However, experimental measurements to study the extent of this are challenging because these elements do not naturally occur on Earth and must be synthesized one atom at a time through nuclear reactions. Currently, most chemical measurements are qualitative and cannot precisely identify the species formed in reactions. A new technique developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, using the Berkeley Gas-filled Separator and FIONA devices, allows for the direct observation and identification of heavy element molecular species. In this study, we present findings on the gas-phase coordination chemistry of nobelium (Z = 102), directly identifying the production of aquo and dinitrogen complexes.