Nihonium
Nihonio (Nh, Z=113)
- Date
- 2004 · confidence high
- Place
- RIKEN, Wako, Saitama, Japan
- Credited to
- Kosuke Morita and the RIKEN team
- People
- 👤 Kosuke Morita1957–
- Field
- Matter & energy
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What was discovered
RIKEN produced the first atom of Nh-278 in 2004 by fusing zinc-70 with bismuth-209, and the decisive third atom in 2012; the Dubna-Livermore collaboration had observed it in 2003 as a daughter of moscovium.
The IUPAC awarded priority to RIKEN in 2015 over Dubna-Livermore.
What it led to
- First element discovered in Asia
- Recognition of the cold fusion method at its limit
- Named after Japan (Nihon)
Built on
- RILAC accelerator
- Cold fusion
Made possible
- RIKEN's GARIS separator