Francium
Francio (Fr, Z=87)
- Date
- 1939 · confidence high
- Place
- Institut Curie, Paris, France
- Credited to
- Marguerite Perey
- People
- 👤 Marguerite Perey1909–1975
- Field
- Matter & energy
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What was discovered
Perey, a technician at the Institut Curie, detected an alpha-decay branch of actinium-227 producing element 87: the last element discovered in nature.
Earlier false claims: virginium (Allison), moldavium (Hulubei).
What it led to
- Closing of the search for natural elements
- Atomic physics studies with francium traps
- First woman elected to the Académie des Sciences (1962)
Built on
- Purification of actinium
- Curie's radiochemistry
Made possible
- Francium magneto-optical traps