Flerovium

POST-TRANSITION METAL · GROUP 14 · PERIOD 7
114
Fl
Flerovium
289

Atomic Data

Atomic Number114
SymbolFl
Atomic Weight289 u
Density (STP)N/A
Melting PointN/A °C (None K)
Boiling PointN/A °C (None K)
Electronegativity:
Electron Config.1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 4f14 5s2 5p6 5d10 5f14 6s2 6p6 6d10 7s2 7p2
Oxidation States+2, +4
Phase at STPSolid
CategoryPost-Transition Metal
Period / Group7 / 14
CAS Number54085-16-4

Electron Configuration

[Rn] 5f14 6d10 7s2 7p2

Shell n Subshell Electrons Cumulative
K11s22
L22s24
L22p610
M33s212
M33p618
M33d1028
N44s230
N44p636
N44d1046
N44f1460
O55s262
O55p668
O55d1078
O55f1492
P66s294
P66p6100
P66d10110
Q77s2112
Q77p2114
Total 114 114

Isotopes of Flerovium

Flerovium is monoisotopic: ²⁸⁹Fl is its only naturally occurring stable isotope, accounting for 100% of all natural Flerovium.

Isotope Symbol Protons Neutrons Abundance Stability
Flerovium-289²⁸⁹Fl114175traceStable

Abundance & Occurrence

Flerovium is present in Earth's crust at approximately trace amounts by mass and at approximately trace amounts by mass throughout the universe.

Earth's Crust (ppm by mass)

Flerovium
None ppm
Silicon (ref.)
277,000 ppm
Oxygen (ref.)
461,000 ppm

Universe (ppm by mass)

Flerovium
None ppm
Helium (ref.)
230,000 ppm
Hydrogen (ref.)
739,000 ppm

Discovery & History

1999
Yuri Oganessian et al. (JINR, Dubna): Oganessian's team at Dubna produced flerovium by bombarding plutonium-244 with calcium-48 ions, detecting Fl-289; calcium-48 bombardment of actinide targets proved far more productive than previous methods for very heavy elements.
2011
JINR / Lawrence Livermore collaboration: After multiple independent confirmations across several laboratories, IUPAC accepted the Dubna-Livermore discovery and named the element flerovium in honour of the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions and its founder Georgy Flerov.
2014
Robert Eichler et al.: Chemical experiments suggested flerovium may interact weakly with gold surfaces: possibly exhibiting noble-gas-like behaviour driven by relativistic effects: though interpretation of the few atoms detected remains debated.

Read more about the discovery of the periodic table of elements →

Safety & Handling

  • Alpha radiation and very short half-life: Flerovium isotopes are alpha emitters; Fl-289 (t½ = 2.6 s) is among the longer-lived, making systematic chemistry extremely difficult.
  • No practical bulk hazard: Flerovium has only been produced in atom-counting quantities; there is no macroscopic hazard from the element itself.
  • Possible noble-gas-like behaviour: Relativistic calculations and preliminary experiments suggest Fl may have unusual chemical inertness; this is being explored using gold-surface deposition experiments at cryogenic temperatures.
  • Regulatory controls: All flerovium research is conducted at the JINR Dubna facility and at Lawrence Livermore under comprehensive nuclear regulatory oversight and radiation protection.

Real-World Uses

  • Island of stability candidate: Flerovium (Fl-289, Fl-290) is one of the first elements predicted to lie near the 'island of stability': a region of enhanced nuclear stability around Z=114, N=184 predicted by nuclear shell models; its longer-than-expected half-lives (2.6 s for Fl-289) compared with neighbouring superheavy elements provide early experimental evidence for this shell stabilisation.
  • Relativistic noble-gas-like chemistry: Gas-phase adsorption experiments suggest flerovium may be more volatile and less reactive than expected for a Group 14 element, with behaviour perhaps resembling a noble gas rather than lead (its homologue): a direct consequence of strong relativistic 7s² shell closure.
  • No commercial applications: Flerovium is produced a few atoms at a time; no practical application is possible or anticipated at any foreseeable production rate.

Downloadable Resources

Free periodic table reference sheets for classrooms, study sessions, and laboratory use.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Has flerovium ever been used for anything?

No. Flerovium has no practical applications. Its most stable isotope (Fl-289) has a half-life of about 2.1 seconds. It is produced only a few atoms at a time in particle accelerators and studied purely for fundamental nuclear research. Flerovium is expected to lie on or near the 'island of stability': a predicted region where some superheavy isotopes may have significantly longer half-lives.

What is the island of stability?

Nuclear physicists predict that there exists an 'island of stability' among superheavy elements: a region centred around proton number 114 and neutron number 184: where certain isotopes may have much longer half-lives than their neighbours, perhaps minutes, days, or even years. This arises from nuclear shell effects (closed shells of protons and neutrons provide extra binding energy). The most stable known flerovium isotope (Fl-289) has a half-life of only 2.1 seconds, suggesting we have not yet reached the centre of this island.

Is flerovium radioactive?

Yes, all isotopes of flerovium are radioactive. The most stable known, Fl-289, has a half-life of about 2.1 seconds. It decays by alpha emission. Flerovium is produced at JINR in Dubna, Russia, by bombarding plutonium-244 with calcium-48 ions.

How did flerovium get its name?

Flerovium was named after the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions at JINR in Dubna, Russia, where it was first synthesised in 1999. The laboratory itself was named after Georgy Flyorov (also spelled Flerov), the Soviet physicist who founded it and co-discovered spontaneous fission of uranium. The name was approved by IUPAC in 2012.