Atomic Properties of Tl
- Atomic Number of Tl
- 81
- Atomic Mass of Tl
- 204.3800 u
- Electron Configuration
- [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p1
- Electronegativity
- 1.62
- Block
- p-block
- Group
- 13
- Period
- 6
Thallium (Tl) is element 81 on the periodic table. Atomic mass of Tl: 204.3800 u. Tl is in period 6, group 13. Melting point of Tl: 577.00 K.Density of Tl: 11.85 g/cm³.
The poisoner's poison—now used to image hearts
Thallium mimics potassium and enters cells easily
Discovered by Sir William Crookes in England, 1861
Name origin: Greek: thallos (green twig), for a bright green line in its spectrum.
Pure, unreacted thallium appears silvery-white and exhibits a metallic lustre. Upon reacting with air, it begins to turn bluish-grey and looks like lead. It is very malleable, and can be cut with a knife. There are two stable isotopes, and four radioisotopes, Tl-204 being the most stable with a half-life of 3.78 years. Thallium sulphate was used as a rodenticide. Thallium sulphine's conductivity changes with exposure to infrared light, this gives it a use in infrared detectors. Discovered by Sir William Crookes via spectroscopy. Its name comes from the Greek word thallos, which means green twig. Thallium and its compounds are toxic and can cause cancer.
Thallium has 2 naturally occurring isotopes, plus 1 notable radioactive isotope.
| Isotope | Atomic Mass (u) | Abundance | Half-Life | Decay Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20181Tl (Tl-201)Thallium-201 isotope | 200.97082 | 0% | 3.0421 days | EC |
| 20381Tl (Tl-203)Thallium-203 isotope | 202.9723446 | 29.52% | — | — |
| 20581Tl (Tl-205)Thallium-205 isotope | 204.9744278 | 70.48% | — | — |
Data source: NIH PubChem (aggregated from IUPAC, NIST)
Isotopes of Thallium have important real-world applications in science and industry.
201Tl scintigraphy is used to detect coronary artery disease [539]. Imaging of 201Tl (with a half-life of 3 days), can be used for exercise perfusion tests of the myocardium (muscular tissue of the heart), which determine damage to the heart caused by a heart attack or by heart disease (Fig. IUPAC.81.2) [539].
Its compounds are used in rat and ant poisons. Also for detecting infrared radiation.
Found in iron pyrites. Also in crookesite, hutchinsonite and lorandite. Most is recovered from the byproducts of lead and zinc refining.
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