Berkelium
Berkelio (Bk, Z=97)
- Date
- 1949 · confidence high
- Place
- Berkeley, California, United States
- Credited to
- Stanley Thompson, Albert Ghiorso and Glenn Seaborg
- People
- 👤 Albert Ghiorso1915–2010👤 Glenn T. Seaborg1912–1999👤 Stanley Gerald Thompson1912–1976
- Field
- Matter & energy
What was discovered
Produced by bombarding milligrams of americium-241 with alpha particles in the 60-inch cyclotron.
Named after Berkeley, as terbium was named after Ytterby.
What it led to
- Bk-249 target for synthesising tennessine (2010)
- Study of heavy actinide chemistry
- Ion-exchange chromatography of actinides
Built on
- Reactor-produced americium
- Ion exchange
Made possible
- Tennessine2010
- Synthesis of tennessine