Rarest natural element study could enable new radiotherapy

This new study, with input from the universities of York and Manchester, is said to fill a long-standing gap in the periodic table; astatine, atomic number 85, is the last element present in nature for which this fundamental property remained unknown.

The element is of particular interest because isotopes of astatine could be used to create radiopharmaceuticals for cancer treatment by targeted alpha therapy.

This research, co-funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and published in Nature Communications, could help chemists to develop applications for astatine in radiotherapy, as well as developing theories that predict the structure of super-heavy elements.

By looking at the ionization potential of astatine - namely, the energy needed to remove one electron from the atom, and thereby turning it into a positive ion - the scientists have been able to understand more about the chemical reactivity of astatine and the stability of its chemical bonds in compounds.