copernicium

copernicium (Cn), artificially produced transuranium element of atomic number 112. In 1996 scientists at the Institute for Heavy Ion Research (Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung [GSI]) in Darmstadt, Ger., announced the production of atoms of copernicium from fusing zinc-70 with lead-208. The atoms of copernicium had an atomic weight of 277 and decayed after 0.24 millisecond by emission of an alpha particle (helium nucleus) to darmstadtium-273. Several other isotopes of copernicium are known; the longest lasting, isotope 285, has a half-life of 34 seconds. Its chemical properties may be similar to those of mercury. In June 2009 the discovery of element 112 by the GSI was recognized by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). The discoverers named it copernicium, after Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, in July 2009, and IUPAC approved that name in February 2010.