Atomic Properties of Pt
- Atomic Number of Pt
- 78
- Atomic Mass of Pt
- 195.0800 u
- Electron Configuration
- [Xe] 4f14 5d9 6s1
- Electronegativity
- 2.28
- Block
- d-block
- Group
- 10
- Period
- 6
Platinum (Pt) is element 78 on the periodic table. Atomic mass of Pt: 195.0800 u. Pt is in period 6, group 10. Melting point of Pt: 2041.40 K.Density of Pt: 21.45 g/cm³.
The precious metal in your car's exhaust system and cancer treatment
No biological function. Platinum compounds (cisplatin) are powerful cancer drugs. Metal itself is biocompatible and inert.
Discovered by Julius Scaliger in Italy, 1735
Name origin: Spanish: platina (little silver).
Dense, malleable precious metal resistant to oxidation and most acids (dissolves only in aqua regia). Six natural isotopes; Pt-190 is primordial radioactive (α, t1/2=4.9×1011 years). Cisplatin revolutionized cancer treatment—curing testicular cancer changed from a death sentence to 95%+ survival. Named 'platina' (little silver) by Spanish conquistadors who considered it a nuisance contaminating their silver. Now catalytic converters consume ~40% of production.
Platinum has 5 naturally occurring isotopes, plus 1 notable radioactive isotope.
| Isotope | Atomic Mass (u) | Abundance | Half-Life | Decay Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19078Pt (Pt-190)Platinum-190 isotope | 189.9599297 | 0.0120% | 4.9×10¹¹ years | α |
| 19278Pt (Pt-192)Platinum-192 isotope | 191.9610387 | 0.7820% | — | — |
| 19478Pt (Pt-194)Platinum-194 isotope | 193.9626809 | 32.86% | — | — |
| 19578Pt (Pt-195)Platinum-195 isotope | 194.9647917 | 33.78% | — | — |
| 19678Pt (Pt-196)Platinum-196 isotope | 195.9649521 | 25.21% | — | — |
| 19878Pt (Pt-198)Platinum-198 isotope | 197.9678949 | 7.356% | — | — |
Data source: NIH PubChem (aggregated from IUPAC, NIST)
Isotopes of Platinum have important real-world applications in science and industry.
The decay of 190Pt (with a half-life of 4.9×1011 years) to 186Os over time has been used for dating rocks and iron meteorites [527].
195mPt (with a half-life of 4 days) is used for pharmacokinetic studies of platinum-based anti-tumor agents in cancer diagnosis and cancer therapy [188]. The m in the superscript of 195mPt indicates a metastable state of the isotope. 195mPt can be produced from the stable isotopes 192Os or 195Pt via the 192Os (α, n) 195mPt reaction and the 195Pt (n, n′) 195mPt reaction, respectively.
Used in jewelry, to make crucible and special containers and as a catalyst. Used with cobalt to produce very strong magnets. Also to make standard weights and measures. Resists corrosion and acid attacks except aqua regia.
Produced from deposits of native, or elemental, platinum.
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