What does astatine react with and its use?

What does astatine react with? Astatine is a chemical element that is most stable in its tetrafluoride (AtF). It can react with oxygen, nitrogen and fluorine - so it can't really be used to make anything directly. Indeed, many of the properties we know about astatine come from its interactions with other elements or compounds.

1. Reaction astatine react with oxygen

Astatine is an incredibly reactive element. It reacts with oxygen in a very intense, exothermic reaction - it's more energetic than the burning of hydrogen. This reaction is so powerful, astatine metal can be created by passing an electric current through a pool of liquid astatine and oxygen at -196℃ (its a gas at room temperature).

Astatine reacts with oxygen to give astatine oxide: AtO. It has a yellow powder-like appearance and is really unstable with water, reacting explosively.

2. Reaction astatine react with fluorine

What does astatine react with? Astatine can also be reduced using fluorine gas in a reaction that causes a chemical explosion. This is used in industry to manufacture the fluoride of astatine (F₂), which is used in some atomic clocks and as an isotope for medical radiopharmaceuticals. The discovery of this reaction was a major step in the discovery of astatine's existence, and it led to interest from both within and outside the atomic weapons community.

3. Reaction astatine react with nitrogen

Astatine can also be prepared in gaseous form by passing an electric current through a mixture of liquid bismuth and potassium fluoride at -196℃. It reacts with nitrogen to give astatine nitride (AtN) in a very unstable compound that immediately decomposes into astatine and nitrogen gas when exposed to water.

4. Reaction astatine react with trace amounts of other elements

What does astatine react with? Small traces of other elements can react with astatine, such as iodine being formed from the reaction of astatine oxide with iodine vapor at -74℃, but these interactions are too small to do anything useful!

Uses of Astatine

1. Nuclear Power

Astatine is used in nuclear reactors to control the temperature and pressure of the fuel by removing heat. Astatine was used with uranium as a neutron moderator in the first nuclear power plants.

2. Nuclear Weapons

Astatine is used both as a neutron absorber, and as a trigger material in the Russian RDS-37, or 'Underground Superphysics Laboratory' designed to create explosions on human targets underground. The trigger is made from astatine oxide dissolved in metal oxides - but this requires it to be very pure, which can make it easier to detect in nuclear tests than for military purposes.

3. Astatine as a medical halogen

Because it is chemically similar to iodine, astatine is used in radiopharmaceuticals for the treatment of some cancers. It can be labelled with radioactive iodine or fluorine atoms and act as a halogenated target for cancer cells or bacteria. It then gets taken up by the cell and destroys it from within. The downside is that if the astatine gets taken up by a non-cancerous cell, then that too will die - which can lead to side effects such as hair loss, especially on the scalp and eyebrows.

4. Astatine dust as an aerosol

This is an as-yet unexplored application for astatine, which can be made by dissolving it in a liquid and spraying it into the air. Astatine reacts with moisture in the air to form particles that are chemically similar to iodine, and these can get into lungs where they react with thyroid hormones and cause damage.

5. Astatine as a flu treatment by mouth

Astatine is sometimes administered orally (usually in 250mg doses) to people infected with H1N1 influenza virus, because it can slow down the replication of the virus in the lungs too. This treatment is used alongside antiviral drugs, and whilst it's not a cure, it can allow the person to recover quicker.

6. Astatine as a dental bleaching compound

Astatine is used by dental technicians to remove plaque and tartar from teeth. It reacts with oxygen in the mouth to form a reddish material that is then brushed away. This was originally produced by heating astatine oxide with oxygen, but this can be dangerous.

Conclusion

What does astatine react with? Because of its extreme reactivity, astatine can only be produced in the laboratory under very high pressures and temperatures. It is a very scarce and expensive element - even more so than gold or platinum - but as we have seen, there are some possible uses for it. It's also one of the most radioactive elements on Earth, which makes it rather dangerous to produce or use.