Discover how scientists are studying superheavy elements and nobelium molecules through groundbreaking experiments at Berkeley Lab.
Imagine trying to study something that exists for less than a second before vanishing, something so rare that researchers can only produce a few atoms at a time, and so massive that it defies the very rules chemistry textbooks taught us to trust.
These elements represent the final frontier of chemical knowledge, pushing the boundaries of what we know about matter itself.
A groundbreaking experimental technique developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has changed everything, allowing researchers to directly observe molecules containing these fleeting elements for the first time 4 .
This isn't just about satisfying scientific curiosity. Understanding these extreme elements could revolutionize everything from cancer treatment to how we produce energy. It tests the very foundations of chemistry and might even force us to redraw the periodic table that has hung in classrooms for generations.
The periodic table has long been one of science's greatest predictive tools. Even before elements were discovered, their positions on the table allowed chemists to accurately forecast their properties. But at the very bottom, where atoms become impossibly large, this predictive power begins to break down.
The unusual behavior of these massive atoms stems from what physicists call "relativistic effects." When atoms contain more than 103 protons, the nucleus creates such an intense positive charge that it pulls inner electrons toward it at speeds approaching the speed of light 4 .
This causes some electrons to be sucked toward the center while others are shielded from the nuclear pull, leading to chemical behavior that defies expectations.
Scientists hypothesize that beyond the currently known elements may lie an "island of stability"—a theoretical region where certain superheavy nuclei might exist for much longer than their neighbors, perhaps even years instead of milliseconds 4 .
Finding this island requires understanding the chemistry of these elements well enough to identify and study them. Each step downward in the periodic table brings scientists closer to this goal, but the experimental challenges are immense.
Highlighted elements were studied in the breakthrough experiment
In 2025, a team of researchers at Berkeley Lab's 88-Inch Cyclotron achieved what was previously thought impossible: they directly measured a molecule containing nobelium, element 102 4 .
The experimental setup reads like something from a precision watchmaker's dreams, scaled to industrial size and complexity:
The 88-Inch Cyclotron accelerated a beam of calcium isotopes into a target of thulium and lead, creating a spray of particles that included the desired actinium and nobelium atoms 4 .
The Berkeley Gas Separator filtered out unwanted particles, allowing only the precious actinium and nobelium atoms to proceed to the next stage 4 .
The atoms traveled through a cone-shaped gas catcher where they exited at supersonic speeds. Here, they interacted with minuscule amounts of water and nitrogen to form molecules 4 .
Electrodes propelled the resulting molecules into FIONA, a state-of-the-art mass spectrometer that measured their masses with incredible precision, definitively identifying what molecules had formed 4 .
| Component | Specification | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Accelerator | 88-Inch Cyclotron | Produces heavy elements by colliding calcium isotopes with thulium and lead targets |
| Separator | Berkeley Gas Separator (BGS) | Filters out unwanted particles, isolating desired elements |
| Detector | FIONA Mass Spectrometer | Precisely measures molecular masses to identify chemical species |
| Detection Window | As brief as 0.1 seconds | Can study molecules that exist for only a fraction of a second |
The researchers made a startling discovery even before they began their formal experiment: they were already detecting nobelium molecules in their system. Trace amounts of nitrogen and water vapor inside FIONA—previously thought to be too insignificant to matter—had combined with nobelium atoms to form molecules spontaneously 4 .
"We assumed that we would not be making molecules in the experiment before we wanted to. The fact that we do is an important point" that could reshape how future superheavy element experiments are conducted.
Over ten days of continuous operation, the team detected nearly 2,000 molecules containing either actinium or nobelium—an impressive number in heavy element chemistry, though minuscule by conventional chemical standards 4 .
| Element | Atomic Number | Molecular Species Detected | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Actinium | 89 | Actinium-water and actinium-nitrogen molecules | Represents the "light" end of the actinide series for comparison |
| Nobelium | 102 | Nobelium-water and nobelium-nitrogen molecules | First direct measurement of any molecule containing an element >99 protons |
| N/A | N/A | Both elements formed multiple molecular variants | Provides data on bonding preferences across the actinide series |
The most significant outcome was that researchers could directly identify the molecular species by measuring their masses, eliminating the need for assumptions that had plagued previous studies. "This is the first time anyone's ever done a direct comparison of an early actinide to a late actinide element," said Jennifer Pore, the study's lead author 4 .
Pushing the boundaries of chemical knowledge requires specialized tools and approaches. Modern heavy element research combines massive facilities with sophisticated computational methods and AI-assisted analysis.
| Tool/Category | Specific Examples | Function in Heavy Element Research |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental Facilities | 88-Inch Cyclotron, Berkeley Gas Separator, FIONA | Produce, separate, and identify heavy elements and their compounds |
| Simulation Software | Gaussian, Schrödinger Suite | Perform quantum chemistry calculations and predict molecular properties |
| Data Analysis Tools | RDKit, Open Babel | Process chemical data and manage molecular information |
| AI-Assisted Research | ChemDFM, Multimodal AI Models | Predict molecular properties, reaction outcomes, and optimize experiments |
The integration of artificial intelligence has been particularly transformative. "AI-driven tools are reshaping molecular design, reaction prediction, materials science, and cheminformatics, enabling researchers to address complex chemical challenges with unprecedented speed and precision," notes a comprehensive review of AI in chemistry research 9 .
GPT and Claude, when fine-tuned on chemical data, can help predict molecular properties and reaction outcomes.
Revolutionizing quantum chemical calculations by learning across different theoretical levels.
While studying elements that exist for mere seconds might seem purely academic, this research has significant practical implications that could touch everyday lives.
One of the most promising applications lies in cancer treatment. The isotope actinium-225 has shown remarkable results in treating certain metastatic cancers, but it's extremely difficult to produce in sufficient quantities.
"People have been forced to skip the fundamental chemistry step to figure out how to get it into patients. If we could understand the chemistry of these radioactive elements better, we might have an easier time producing the specific molecules needed for cancer treatment."
Understanding the chemistry of heavy elements could lead to more efficient production of actinium-225 and better methods for incorporating it into targeted cancer therapies, potentially making this treatment more widely available.
Heavy element research also contributes to solving environmental challenges.
"Scientists worldwide will continue their transformative journey to revolutionize the production of fine chemicals and fuels... using renewable electricity, thereby reducing our reliance on oil and natural gas."
Meanwhile, research into micro- and nanoplastic pollution benefits from improved detection methods that build on the same sensitive analytical techniques used in heavy element studies.
"Improved detection methods for plastic pollution, especially for nanoplastics, will lead to more reports on widespread plastic contamination."
The successful direct detection of nobelium molecules represents just the beginning of a new era in chemical research.
Maxx Arguilla, an inorganic chemist at UC Irvine, predicts "breakthroughs in the precision chemistry of chiral materials and the physics arising from structural chirality," which could lead to advances in quantum computing and chemical separations 2 .
Research is diversifying beyond lithium to alternative ions and alkaline systems, with growing interest in "anion redox"—a surprising finding that positive electrode anion components can provide redox activity 2 .
Advances in computing are enabling simulations of entire organelles, genomes, and even whole cells, providing unprecedented insights into the molecular interactions that make life possible 2 .
"I think we're going to completely change how superheavy-element chemistry is done," said Jennifer Pore 4 . This sentiment echoes across the field, where new tools and techniques are opening possibilities that were unimaginable just a decade ago.
The successful detection of nobelium molecules stands as a testament to human curiosity and ingenuity—our relentless drive to understand the world at its most fundamental level.
What begins as abstract curiosity about the behavior of matter at the extremes often evolves into practical solutions for medical, environmental, and technological challenges.
The periodic table, once thought to be nearly complete, now represents just the known territory in a much larger chemical landscape. With each new element studied and each new technique developed, we're not just filling in missing pieces; we're learning that the rules of chemistry are more fascinating and complex than we imagined.
As research continues, the line between fundamental and applied science blurs. The same tools that detect fleeting nobelium molecules might soon help doctors target cancer cells more effectively or engineers design better batteries. In this way, the hunt for chemistry's most elusive elements represents both a journey to science's final frontiers and a path to improving lives through chemical innovation.