The Elements of MIT

Explore MIT faculty, researcher, staff, and student connections to one of science’s most treasured tabular arrangements.

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1HHydrogen

Co-optimizing hydrogen and power supply chain infrastructure could help reduce emissions and overall infrastructure costs.

When combined with water, aluminum can provide a high-energy-density, easily transportable, and flexible source of hydrogen to serve as a carbon-free replacement for fossil fuels.

Using trucks for both energy transmission and storage in a new hydrogen supply chain planning model reveals cost reductions of 9%.

Hydrogen-generated electricity can be a cost-competitive candidate for backing up solar and wind.

Solar photovoltaic-powered electrolysis could produce cost-competitive green hydrogen by 2030.

Life might survive, and thrive, in a hydrogen world.

Hydrogen has the potential to help decarbonize the entire energy economy.

Water-splitting nanoscale hydrogen batteries waste less energy, have faster charges, and longer lives.

On the history and future of fusion, which involves the fusing of hydrogen.

Earliest evidence of hydrogen gas shown to be approximately 180 million years after the Big Bang, in one of Physics World’s 10 Breakthroughs of 2018.

Providing evidence of hydrogen’s “spillover effect”.

Bioengineered microorganisms produce hydrogen.

Progress in splitting water to produce hydrogen fuel as an alternative to fossil fuel.

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2HeHelium

Helium gas is used in a cryogenic system to keep high-temperature superconducting magnets cool to create fusion energy.

Findings have shown that when nucleons are close together, they will pair up the same way, regardless of whether they inhabit a small nucleus like helium or a more crowded one like calcium.

A new superconducting cable filled with supercritical helium as a cooling agent brings commercial fusion one step closer to fruition.

Colliding beams of helium and carbon could fuse their nuclei to produce oxygen.

On the history and future of fusion, which involves the fusing of hydrogen to produce helium.

First commercial airborne wind turbine using a helium-filled shell, from MIT spinout Altaeros Energies.

Superfluid helium research among professor’s recognized contributions.

An ode to former Building 20, home to Collins Cryostat, a device for producing liquid helium that led to a magnetic resonance imaging technique used in hospitals.

Richard Feynman, MIT alum and cultural icon, made major contributions to fluidity, the frictionless behavior of liquid helium.

In memory of a professor whose contributions included the two-fluid theory of liquid helium.

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3LiLithium

A novel electrolyte could enable a significant leap in the power-per-weight of next-generation lithium-ion batteries, without sacrificing the cycle life.

New findings may help unleash the potential of high-powered, solid-electrolyte lithium batteries.

A new way of processing rare-earth metals to separate them from other materials—such as cobalt for lithium batteries—could reduce environmental impact and cost.

A recent study found that lithium-ion batteries from used electric vehicles could be used as a storage solution for solar energy farms.

A newly devised lithium metal anode could improve the longevity and energy density of future batteries.

Scientists have found a way to cool molecules of sodium lithium down to 200 billionths of a Kelvin, just a hair above absolute zero.

Lithium nitride could make solid-state lithium ion batteries charge faster and have higher voltages.

Hybrid cathodes could boost the energy output of lithium batteries.

Professor recognized for work on solid-state lithium electrolyte batteries.

“Reversible sponge” for lithium-based batteries.

Doubling the power of lithium batteries could make smartphones, drones, and electric cars last twice as long, according to MIT spinout SolidEnergy Systems.

Lithium-oxygen battery to improve energy efficiency and longevity.

A clue to how lithium works in the brain.

Previously difficult to observe, advances in seeing lithium in action.

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4BeBeryllium

MIT visiting scholar Robert Gillard’s lab is pushing the boundaries of synthetic chemistry, focusing on elements on the edges of the periodic table, like boron and beryllium.

Produced naturally at high altitudes, beryllium provides insights into the effects of aviation emissions.

Scientists sleep easy after beryllium target generates neutrinos, validating the Standard Model of Particle Physics.

Again the target of friendly fire, beryllium faces off against protons to produce muons, elementary particles with the same charge as electrons and 200 times the mass.

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5BBoron

MIT visiting scholar Robert Gillard’s lab is pushing the boundaries of synthetic chemistry, focusing on elements on the edges of the periodic table, like boron and beryllium.

By combining graphene with boron nitride, researchers have created an energy-harvesting design that could turn high-frequency electromagnetic waves into usable power.

Controllable adhesion system for underwater robots uses a boron-based magnet.

System to produce boron for less than one-tenth the traditional cost places in annual student competition for developing materials to address sustainability.

Of bread and boron: Boron nitride sandwich demonstrates the ability for the same material to switch between two different electronic states.

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6CCarbon

Using specialized carbon nanotubes, MIT engineers have designed a novel sensor that can detect SARS-CoV-2 without any antibodies, giving a result within minutes.

A novel semisolid flow battery uses an electrically conductive additive called carbon black.

A problem and a solution discovered to overcome the struggle carbon dioxide conversion systems have when performing at scale.

New research finds natural carbon uptake in concrete could offset 5% of U.S. pavement cement production emissions.

Carbon nanotube transistors are a step closer to commercial reality thanks to a new manufacturing technique that paves the way for more energy efficient, 3D microprocessors.

A new technique using ultrathin film carbon nanotubes produces aerospace-grade composites more efficiently than before.

Carbon nanotubes could replace silicon chips in next-gen computers.

Using multimegawatt linear accelerators, scientists are working to determine the ratio of carbon to oxygen in the universe.

On negative carbon emissions and firm low-carbon energy resources.

Mildred Dresselhaus, celebrated and beloved MIT professor, helped unlock the mysteries of carbon, earning her the nickname “queen of carbon science”.

Carbon nanotubes: From making airplane frames lighter to turning spinach plants turned into explosive detectors to improving the performance of capacitors, batteries, and water desalination systems.

Professor awarded for work on the mathematics on Earth’s carbon cycle.

Professor creates a never-before-seen compound, known as an alkylidene, with a carbon and metal double bond.

A pencil draws carbon nanotube sensors onto sheets of paper.

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7NNitrogen

Study yields clues into how nitrogenase, an enzyme critical for life, converts nitrogen into ammonia.

Coating seeds in rhizobacteria will help facilitate nitrogen fixing in soil, providing a growing seedling with nutritious fertilizer.

A concept for a hybrid-electric plane could reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 95%.

Scientists discover slimy microbes that may keep coral reefs healthy by scrubbing out nitrogen, potentially defending against certain nutrient overloads.

New quantum micro-chiplets are being designed with a circuit platform made of aluminum nitride—rather than the traditional silicon of some integrated circuits—as they are transparent and can support photonic switches that are functional at cryogenic temperatures.

Nitrogen-fixing cereal crops have the potential replace the need for chemical fertilizers.

Engineering cereal grains to produce their own nitrogen fertilizer.

Nitrogen provides insights into marine ecosystems through interactions with microorganisms and the degradation of New England coastal waters.

Cleaving nitrogen molecules, previously only accomplished through nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

Energy Initiative seed fund project on gallium-nitride-based electronics is honored nearly ten years later and leads to the founding of the MIT/MTL Gallium Nitride Energy Initiative.

Nitrogen atoms in an ultrathin superconducting film help researchers discover a universal law of superconductivity.

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8OOxygen

Thanks to an MIT-designed instrument, MOXIE, a NASA mission, has produced oxygen on another planet for the first time.

By removing or adding oxygen, researchers found a novel way to switch antiferromagnetism on and off to improve memory storage devices.

A new study shows oxygenic photosynthesis likely evolved between 3.9 and 2.9 billion years ago.

A new coating protects microbes from oxygen, making the microbes easier to deploy to treat gastrointestinal disease.

A 3D “atlas” of the world’s ocean’s largest oxygen-deficient zones may help researchers track and predict the ocean’s response to climate change.

Researchers are developing an oxygen concentrator to help deliver oxygen to patients with Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

New analysis into ruthenium dioxide—a common catalyst of water to release oxygen—has unveiled how the process fundamentally works at a molecular level.

The rise of oxygenic photosynthesis may have occurred later than initially calculated.

Oxygen’s abundance in the atmosphere could be a result of sequestered carbon in minerals.

Tracking oxygen levels in mice shows promising applications for diabetes treatments.

Scientists have determined the radiative capture reaction rate of oxygen using multimegawatt linear accelerators.

Let the countdown begin: Oxygen-creating device to fly on the Mars 2020 mission.

Scientists pinpoint oxygen’s first appearance in Earth’s atmosphere, the Great Oxygenation Event (GOE), at 2.33 billion years ago.

Lithium-oxygen battery greatly improves energy efficiency.

Implantable device provides cells with their own oxygen supply.

Studying how insects use trapped oxygen to breathe underwater.

Inspired by previous research in producing oxygen on the moon, a new process uses iron oxide from lunar soil to make oxygen for a more environmentally sound steelmaking process.

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9FFluorine

A new tool combines fluorine, chlorine, and bromine to provide etching capabilities for a wide variety of novel materials and materials research.

A novel electrolyte of carbon and fluorine could allow for advanced metal electrodes and higher voltages in lithium batteries.

An advanced MRI using fluorine can track living cells.

Adding fluorine to pharmaceuticals offers flexibility and potential cost-savings for new drugs.

Fibers detect and produce sound by varying fluorine content.

Students discover high levels of fluorine in the soil surrounding the most active Hawaiian volcano.

Fluorine among the elements providing evidence of a possible mass extinction 250 million years ago.

Fluorine replaces hydrogen for a more simple method to make complex emulsions.

Attaching fluorine to drug compounds could make drugs more potent.

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10NeNeon

Study showing nearly three times more neon in the sun than previously believed provides the key to developing future theoretical models.

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11NaSodium

Reactors cooled by molten salt and liquid metal (specifically liquid lead and sodium) are the leading candidates for alternatives to today’s water-cooled nuclear reactors.

A combination of water-repelling surfaces and heat allow dissolved salts to crystallize in a way that makes it easy to remove them from surfaces to help potentially prevent fouling of metal surfaces.

Scientists have found a way to cool molecules of lithium down to 200 billionths of a Kelvin, just a hair above absolute zero.

Sodium nitrite is used as a precursor material in experiments on nitric oxide, an important signaling molecule.

A new type of “surgical scotch tape” that can be detached on demand uses sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to deactivate the tape’s bonds.

Sodium was found on a Dead Sea Scroll, showing how books can be preserved for millennia.

A new form of matter, known as a supersolid, made of sodium atoms.

Cooling sodium-potassium gas to the lowest temperature ever recorded: half-a-billionth of a degree above absolute zero. Later research applies the discovery to quantum computing and the long-sought “qubit”.

A more efficient desalination process involves blocking large sodium atoms.

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12MgMagnesium

Basaltic rocks present good sites for carbon dioxide injection due to their widespread occurrence and high concentrations of magnesium that can form carbonate crystals.

Early version of a novel molten-metal battery includes magnesium.

Technology for cleaner magnesium production from Infinium Metals, co-founded by an MIT alum.

Insights into the role of magnesium in memory.

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13AlAluminum

When combined with water, aluminum can provide a high-energy-density, easily transportable, and flexible source of hydrogen to serve as a carbon-free replacement for fossil fuels.

New quantum micro-chiplets are being designed with a circuit platform made of aluminum nitride—rather than the traditional silicon of some integrated circuits—as they are transparent and can support photonic switches that are functional at cryogenic temperatures.

A device using solar heat can sterilize medical tools. A solar collector made of polished aluminum heats up water to created pressurized steam to run autoclaves without the need for electricity in off-grid areas.

Aluminum can be used as a stabilizing agent in lithium garnet electrodes in solid-state batteries.

A crystal containing aluminum undergoes a new type of magnetically driven electrical response.

Self-healing metal uses an ultrathin layer of aluminum oxide.

Aluminum batteries that “drink” seawater could power autonomous underwater vehicles, from MIT spinout Open Water Power.

“Yolk-and-shell” nanoparticle with an aluminum “yolk” boosts capacity and powers rechargeable batteries.

Producing more uniformly structured aluminum casts for aviation and vehicles.

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14SiSilicon

A molecular clock on a silicon chip that functions much like an atomic clock, yet has a simpler structure and greatly reduced cost and size.

A new silicon chip eliminates the need for specific decoding hardware and could boost the efficiency of gaming systems, 5G networks, the internet of things, and more.

A reusable N95 mask made of silicone rubber could significantly reduce the waste generated by mask usage.

A new fiber devised of hundreds of square silicon microscale digital chips contains memory, temperature sensors, and a trained neural network program for inferring physical activity.

New quantum micro-chiplets are being designed with a circuit platform made of aluminum nitride—rather than the traditional silicon of some integrated circuits—as they are transparent and can support photonic switches that are functional at cryogenic temperatures.

A new bright, efficient silicon LED can be integrated directly into computer chips which could reduce the cost and improve the performance of microelectronics that use LEDs.

A new fabrication capability, known as the 90-nanometer depleted silicon-on-insulator process, can produce a range of electronics capable of withstanding harsh radiation environments.

Engineers have designed a “brain-on-a-chip” made of thousands of artificial brain synapses that are composed of silver, copper, and silicon.

Silicon III-V chips have been successfully developed for commercial use in 5G mobile devices.

Silicon shows promise to be used as an on-chip photonic light source.

A crystal containing silicon undergoes a new type of magnetically driven electrical response.

On what’s coming in solar energy, which involves silicon.

Advances in mimicking the brain using a silicon chip.

Ongoing research into scaling up current silicon-based solar energy systems and developing high-efficiency silicon solar cells.

Silicon-based system processes optical signals from a wide light spectrum for the first time.

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15PPhosphorus

The material nickel phosphorus trisulfide could be useful as a new kind of magnetic semiconductor.

Phosphine, a gas from phosphorous, could be an indicator of extraterrestrial life if found on another planet.

Safer, simpler industrial and household chemicals by breaking up phosphorus with ultraviolet light.

Gone dark: Optimizing high-speed computing with black phosphorus.

Phosphorus informs climate change models.

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16SSulfur

Ammonia has been found to neutralize sulfuric acid, allowing for the possibility for creating habitable pockets in Venus’ clouds.

A new family of semiconductor materials composed of barium, zirconium, and sulfur has the potential to impact multiple fields of technology.

Study yields clues into how enzymes consisting of sulfur and metal converts nitrogen into ammonia.

By replacing oxygen with sulfur in the DNA backbone, bacteria protect their DNA from invading viruses without changing its genetic code.

Lithium-sulfur batteries are a lighter alternative to lithium-ion batteries.

Sulfur was found on a Dead Sea Scroll, showing how books can be preserved for millennia.

Advancing copper production using sulfur-based minerals.

Sulfur among the elements providing evidence of a possible mass extinction 250 million years ago.

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17ClChlorine

A new tool combines fluorine, chlorine, and bromine to provide etching capabilities for a wide variety of novel materials and materials research.

A new manufacturing process for graphene, that includes a chlorine-rich parylene as a buffer material, could lead to a new generation of solar cells.

Chlorine among the elements providing evidence of a possible mass extinction 250 million years ago.

MIT Legatum Center awards seed grant to social enterprise Zimba, with an automatic chlorine doser to be piloted in rural India.

Periwinkle plant uses bacterial genes to attach chlorine to compounds for creating more effective cancer drugs.

Making drugs more potent by binding molybdenum to chlorine.

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18ArArgon

A novel detector technology known as a liquid argon time projection chamber yields high-res pictures of particles that get created in neutrino reactions.

Argon gas sealed a 1957 time capsule unearthed in a 2015 excavation for MIT.nano.

Ratio of potassium to argon shows the moon’s molten core was likely sustained by an alternative power source.

Dark matter detector uses liquid argon.

Argon continues to build its space case, showing Mars has been in a 4-billion-year freeze and providing evidence of a once-active dynamo on one of the largest asteroids in the solar system.

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19KPotassium

Over time, potassium-rich minerals in an ancient Roman concrete beneficially reorganized and increased its cohesion.

Potassium is a key part of the regulation of neuron activity.

Cooling sodium-potassium gas to the lowest temperature ever recorded: half-a-billionth of a degree above absolute zero. Later research applies the discovery to quantum computing and the long-sought “qubit”.

Ratio of potassium to argon shows the moon’s molten core was likely sustained by an alternative power source.

Producing potassium fertilizer from feldspar, a rock abundant in countries otherwise reliant on potassium imports to produce bananas and other potassium-dependent crops.

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20CaCalcium

When paired with a new microscopy technique, fluorescent calcium probes can be used to measure neuronal activity.

Findings have shown that when nucleons are close together, they will pair up the same way, regardless of whether they inhabit a small nucleus like helium or a more crowded one like calcium.

Using a new imaging technique, researchers identified two populations of neurons that respond to calcium signals in different ways.

Engineers have produced a fisheye lens that’s completely flat using a new metalens made out of a single transparent piece of calcium fluoride with a thin film of lead telluride deposited on one side.

Calcium ions play a key role in the regulation of cortex glial cell activity.

Calcium was found on a Dead Sea Scroll, showing how books can be preserved for millennia.

Calcium separates the strong from weak among connections in the brain.

Calcium-based MRI sensor for more sensitive brain imaging.

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21ScScandium

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

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22TiTitanium

New deep learning techniques have been validated using 3D-printed titanium alloys.

When beams of circularly polarized light strike a sheet of titanium diselenide, the electrons in the material take on the handedness of the light’s polarization.

Titanium dioxide “shell” to boost capacity and power rechargeable batteries.

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23VVanadium

Cesium, vanadium, and antimony make up a new material in a family of kagome metals that are superconductive.

Majorana fermions, particles that are theorized to also be their own antiparticle, have been observed on the surface of gold when in proximity of superconductive vanadium.

Replacing chromium with vanadium to make laptops spin less, laying the foundation for a new generation of quantum computers.

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24CrChromium

Chromium is being used to examine chemical shifts in ancient Earth’s oceans and atmosphere.

In certain alloys, such as nickel-chromium, radiation actually strengthens the alloy by reducing the rate of corrosion.

Shifting the order of layers of chromium trichloride alters the material’s magnetic properties.

Resilient chromium-niobium material for industrial processes including coal and petroleum combustion, gas turbines, and waste incinerators.

Twenty years later, chromium continues its corrosion dominance in the development of a composite used in nuclear reactors.

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25MnManganese

A novel semisolid flow battery contains dispersed manganese dioxide particles.

Manganese oxide may not be as a reliable indicator of the existence of oxygen-producing organisms as previously thought.

Manganese oxide acts a catalyst in a reaction that creates epoxides.

Manganese is a key element in creating the mineral dolomite.

Measuring manganese activity to improve electrochemical conversion and storage.

Manganese to decipher the role of genes in learning and memory.

Making better batteries with nanowires of manganese made by viruses.

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26FeIron

A recently discovered planet that orbits its star in just 8 hours likely contains a solid core of iron and nickel, similar to Mercury’s interior.

At only one atomic layer thick, a sheet of iron selenide could enable high-temperature superconductivity.

A new solar-powered system using an adsorbent composed of iron aluminophosphate extracts drinkable water from “dry” air.

A rare family of meteorites called IIE irons likely came from an early planetesimal with a molten magnetic core, suggesting that the diversity of the earliest objects in the solar system may have been more complex than scientists had assumed.

Study shows that the moons magnetic field could have been produced by a crystallizing iron core.

Encapsulating iron in food makes it easier to absorb.

A compound composed of iron and tin combines in a unique pattern resembling the Star of David.

Phytoplankton shown to be extremely sensitive to changing levels of desert dust containing iron.

Inspired by previous research in producing oxygen on the moon, a new process uses iron oxide from lunar soil to make oxygen for a more environmentally sound steelmaking process.

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27CoCobalt

A new way of processing rare-earth metals to separate them from other materials—such as cobalt for lithium batteries—could reduce environmental impact and cost.

A system consisting of gadolinium cobalt allows for the flipping of the magnetic orientation of particles with a small voltage.

Elements such as zinc, cobalt, and nickel show promise in adsorbing gaseous radioactive products of nuclear fission.

The atomic structure of strontium cobalt oxide can be changed with the addition of oxygen and hydrogen.

A new method can remove contaminants such as cobalt out of irradiated wastewater.

Cobalt is found in polymetallic nodules, a type of rock used to manufacture batteries.

Layer of cobalt used in a device controlling microchip magnetism, opening the doors to computing that consumes drastically less power.

Cobalt center powers a rotting meat sensor for improving food safety.

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28NiNickel

A recently discovered planet that orbits its star in just 8 hours likely contains a solid core of iron and nickel, similar to Mercury’s interior.

The material nickel phosphorus trisulfide could be useful as a new kind of magnetic semiconductor.

Scientists used neodymium nickelate to show how to switch antiferromagnetism on and off to improve memory storage devices.

In certain alloys, such as nickel-chromium, radiation actually strengthens the alloy by reducing the rate of corrosion.

Elements such as zinc, cobalt, and nickel show promise in adsorbing gaseous radioactive products of nuclear fission.

Nickel is found in polymetallic nodules, a type of rock that is used to manufacture batteries.

Neodymium nickel oxide can act both as an electrical insulator or conductor, depending on its temperature.

Nickel-platinum nanoparticles can be synthesized using liquid cell electron microscopy, leaving behind the more valuable platinum.

Professor discusses resurgence of interest in nickel-based chemistry in energy and environment.

Nickel-dependent enzymes in the biogenesis of natural gas.

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29CuCopper

When combined with copper, the common material known as zeolite effectively absorbs methane from the air, even at extremely low concentrations.

Researchers found that using the radioactive tracer copper-64 provides much clearer images of lung tumors during PET imaging.

Engineers have designed a “brain-on-a-chip” made of thousands of artificial brain synapses that are composed of silver, copper, and silicon.

Irradiated copper was used to help understand the impacts of cosmic rays on quantum computing.

Spanish conquerors depended on indigenous copper smelting technology to keep up their munitions supplies, archaeologists have found.

Copper is found in polymetallic nodules, a type of rock that is used to manufacture batteries.

A new way of extracting copper. The same researchers later receive a $1.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to advance copper production using sulfur-based minerals.

In a major advance for the field, copper-oxide superconductors show surprising electronic disorder.

Copper-gold nanoparticle shows copper’s potential as an energy-efficient method to recycle carbon dioxide.

Advancements in superconductors use ceramic copper oxides.

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30ZnZinc

A rechargeable zinc-manganese dioxide battery has been shown to be a cheaper and more effective form of long-duration energy storage than other contenders.

Elements such as zinc, cobalt, and nickel show promise in adsorbing gaseous radioactive products of nuclear fission.

Researchers discover the first stars in the universe exploded as asymmetric supernova, strong enough to scatter heavy elements such as zinc across the early universe.

DNA damage risk posed by the same zinc often used in sunscreen.

Tracking zinc in cells to learn more about its function.

Zinc selenide contributes electronic and optical properties to fibers.

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31GaGallium

Researchers demonstrate a practical way to make indium gallium nitride LEDs with a considerably higher indium concentration.

A mixture of gallium and indium were used to help monitor hydrogen yields in an experiment converting water and aluminum into hydrogen.

Researchers have found that an alloy called InGaAs (indium gallium arsenide) could hold the potential for smaller and more energy efficient transistors.

Silicon III-V chips made with gallium have been successfully developed for commercial use in 5G mobile devices.

Energy Initiative seed fund project on gallium-nitride-based electronics is honored nearly ten years later and leads to the founding of the MIT/MTL Gallium Nitride Energy Initiative.

Laptop power adaptor uses gallium nitride for higher efficiency over silicon, from MIT spinout Cambridge Electronics.

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32GeGermanium

A new “metalens” that is able to shift focus without tilting or moving is composed of germanium, antimony, and tellurium.

Researchers grow perfectly shaped germanium tunnels on silicon oxide with controllable length.

A phase-change material containing germanium, antimony, selenium, and tellurium can control infrared light in multiple systems.

A crystal containing germanium undergoes a new type of magnetically driven electrical response.

Germanium increases speed of computer chips, leading to several MIT spinouts, including AmberWave Systems and 4Power.

Lincoln Laboratory receives funding to use germanium in the next generation of photonic integrated circuits.

First germanium laser gets computers one step closer to using light instead of electricity to move data.

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33AsArsenic

MIT graduate students helped to detect the first instances of arsenic in drinking water in Nepal.

Researchers have designed small molecules that spontaneously form nanoribbons when water is added. The nanoribbons are stronger than steel and can pull heavy metals, like lead or arsenic, out of contaminated water.

Nanoscale devices integrated into the leaves of living plants can detect arsenic levels in soil in real time.

Particular nanofibers can be used in place of expensive filtration systems to remove arsenic from water.

Researchers discover the first organism to thrive on arsenic.

The Kanchan Arsenic Filter (KAF) provides a low-cost household water filter for the developing world.

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34SeSelenium

Physicists uncover secrets of world’s thinnest superconductor: At only one atomic layer thick, a sheet of iron selenide could enable high-temperature superconductivity.

A phase-change material containing germanium, antimony, selenium, and tellurium can control infrared light in multiple systems.

Selenium links molecules to overcome drug resistant infections.

One-molecule-thick material using selenium to create LEDs, photovoltaic cells, and light detectors.

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35BrBromine

A new tool combines fluorine, chlorine, and bromine to provide etching capabilities for a wide variety of novel materials and materials research.

Low-cost, high-capacity, rechargeable bromine battery to enable widespread adoption of intermittent energy sources including solar and wind.

Periwinkle plant uses bacterial genes to attach bromine to compounds for creating more effective cancer drugs.

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36KrKrypton

Metal organic frameworks are being used to capture krypton—a gaseous radioactive product of nuclear fission.

Artificial blubber infused with krypton protects divers in frigid water.

On why kypton detection is one of the challenges in finding clandestine nuclear sites.

Krypton gas used for energy-efficient windows in Solar7, an MIT solar house legacy dating back to 1938.

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37RbRubidium

Rubidium improves the efficiency of solar cells.

Shining a laser through ultracold rubidium atoms shows a new optical state that could enable quantum computing with photons.

Cooling rubidium used in previous research into magnetism and superconductivity.

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38SrStrontium

Researchers overcame barriers in solid oxide fuel cells by adding hafnium, which prevents strontium from reaching the surface—keeping the fuel cell functioning longer and more efficiently.

When embedded in plants, strontium aluminate allows plants to emit light.

The atomic structure of strontium cobalt oxide can be changed with the addition of oxygen and hydrogen.

Ratios of strontium to neodymium show India joined with Asia 10 million years later than previously thought.

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39YYttrium

Studying the effects of high current on a yttrium-based superconducting material.

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40ZrZirconium

A new family of semiconductor materials composed of barium, zirconium, and sulfur has the potential to impact multiple fields of technology.

Silicon carbide composite could serve to be a more effective containment material for nuclear fuel rods than the conventional zirconium cladding that is typically employed.

Zirconium used for corrosion resistance in advanced nuclear materials.

Zirconium oxide, also used in cubic zirconia “fake diamonds”, grows nanotubes without the unwanted side effects of metal.

Zirconium cladding provides performance for nuclear technology in a MITEI Low-Carbon Energy Center project.

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41NbNiobium

Niobium can create superconducting junctions when combined with bismuth telluride.

Resilient chromium-niobium material for industrial processes including coal and petroleum combustion, gas turbines, and waste incinerators.

Yarns of niobium nanowire for more efficient supercapacitors.

Niobium atoms in an ultrathin superconducting film help researchers discover a universal law of superconductivity.

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42MoMolybdenum

Molybdenum was used in experiments aimed at understanding how to weaken hardy nitrogen-nitrogen bonds.

Molybdenum disulfide, an ultrathin monolayer material, could address limits currently being encountered by silicon-based transistor technology.

A new hybrid cathode uses a type of molybdenum sulfide and pure sulfur.

Professor wins Nobel Prize in chemistry for a molybdenum chemical reaction used for environmentally-friendly production of pharmaceuticals, fuels, and synthetic fibers.

Making drugs more potent by binding molybdenum to chlorine.

Molybdenum-based semiconductors emit light in a range not absorbed by silicon, allowing it to be used alongside silicon for on-chip communication.

First flexible, battery-free device to convert Wi-Fi signals to electricity uses molybdenum-based semiconductor.

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43TcTechnetium

Professor contributes to the first technetium-based myocardial imaging agent, Cardiolite, an important tool in clinical nuclear cardiology.

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44RuRuthenium

New analysis into ruthenium dioxide—a common catalyst of water to release oxygen—has unveiled how the process fundamentally works at a molecular level.

Ruthenium demonstrates a “perfect” solar absorber capable of harnessing the full spectrum of available solar radiation.

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46PdPalladium

Palladium can be used as a catalyst in processes to remove methane from the atmosphere.

Palladium is used in a sensor that monitors plant hormone levels and has potential applications in preventing food waste.

Using electrochemistry to create highly loaded metal hydrides such as palladium.

Professor recognized for outstanding global contribution to the field of chemistry, including work on palladium for synthesis of pharmaceuticals and agricultural compounds.

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47AgSilver

A new, compact, affordable system was able to use neutrons to identify elements such as indium, silver, and uranium.

Engineers have designed a “brain-on-a-chip” made of thousands of artificial brain synapses that are composed of silver, copper, and silicon.

By depositing silver around gold on graphene, it can be forced into epitaxial shapes.

Beams of light can be transferred into wavy patterns which when transferred through silver can create lines as small as 40 nm.

Silver-based material provides design principles for producing fuels from carbon dioxide emissions.

Silver flakes used to detect safe ranges of electric fields to treat cancer.

DNA damage risk posed by nanoscale silver used in toys, toothpaste, clothing, and other products for its antimicrobial properties.

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48CdCadmium

Bacteria such as E. coli can be designed to detect pollutants such as cadmium.

Cadmium gets kudos for quantum-dot performance and producing very pure colors.

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49InIndium

Researchers demonstrate a practical way to make indium gallium nitride LEDs with a considerably higher indium concentration.

A mixture of gallium and indium were used to help monitor hydrogen yields in an experiment converting water and aluminum into hydrogen.

A new, compact, affordable system was able to use neutrons to identify elements such as indium, silver, and uranium.

Researchers have found that an alloy called InGaAs (indium gallium arsenide) could hold the potential for smaller and more energy efficient transistors.

Smallest indium-based transistor ever built could challenge silicon’s dominance.

“Artificial leaf” uses indium-based film.

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50SnTin

Adding tin to perovskite materials helps boost the efficiency of a solar cell to 25.2%.

A compound composed of iron and tin combines in a unique pattern resembling the Star of David.

Ultra-thin tin-based films demonstrate room-temperature ferroelectric states.

Producing electricity from industrial waste heat using a tin-based compound.

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51SbAntimony

Cesium, vanadium, and antimony make up a new material in a family of kagome metals that are superconductive.

A new “metalens” that is able to shift focus without tilting or moving is composed of germanium, antimony, and tellurium.

A phase-change material containing germanium, antimony, selenium, and tellurium can control infrared light in multiple systems.

Early version of a novel molten-metal battery includes antimony.

Antimony surprises researchers with its high performance, producing a high operating voltage.

Theoretical, superconducting quasiparticle verified using an antimony-based material.

Antimony in thin films for new semiconductor chips and thermoelectric devices.

×
52TeTellurium

A new “metalens” that is able to shift focus without tilting or moving is composed of germanium, antimony, and tellurium.

A phase-change material containing germanium, antimony, selenium, and tellurium can control infrared light in multiple systems.

Engineers have produced a fisheye lens that’s completely flat using a new metalens made out of a single transparent piece of calcium fluoride with a thin film of lead telluride deposited on one side.

Media Lab professor develops one of the first holographic-video displays, using the biggest piece of tellurium dioxide crystal at the time.

Ultra-thin tellurium-based films demonstrate room-temperature ferroelectric states.

Scaling up production of thin electronic material uses a method including tellurium.

MIT Summer Scholar develops tellurium thin films for infrared photonics.

×
53IIodine

“Self-healing” batteries powered by iodine.

MIT Radioactivity Center produces the first iodine isotope.

×
54XeXenon

Artificial blubber infused with xenon protects divers in frigid water.

On why xenon detection is one of the challenges in finding clandestine nuclear sites.

Studying thermodynamic processes using xenon lamps.

Radiometric dating method uses xenon for insights into the magnetization of asteroids.

×
55CsCesium

Cesium, vanadium, and antimony make up a new material in a family of kagome metals that are superconductive.

A new method can remove contaminants such as cesium out of irradiated wastewater.

The new definition of the kilogram corresponds to cesium atoms used in atomic clocks.

Cesium helps to homogenize perovskite compounds, which improves the efficiency of solar cells.

Quantum computing switch uses mirrors and supercooled cesium.

MIT geophysicist explains how measuring the movement of a cesium atom beats the Earth’s rotation for keeping accurate time.

×
56BaBarium

A new family of semiconductor materials composed of barium, zirconium, and sulfur has the potential to impact multiple fields of technology.

“Electronic nose” prototype uses barium-based layers.

Barium atoms in the first single-atom laser.

×
57LaLanthanum

When hit with a burst of laser light, lanthanum tritelluride transforms from a wavelike pattern into an ordered, right angled pattern.

The first increases in computers’ clock speed since 2002 could be coming after experiments using a lanthanum-based composite.

×
72HfHafnium

Researchers overcame barriers in solid oxide fuel cells by adding hafnium, which prevents strontium from reaching the surface—keeping the fuel cell functioning longer and more efficiently.

Hafnium doubles the amount of energy produced by sunlight.

Ratios of lutetium to hafnium measured in research showing India joined with Asia 10 million years later than previously thought.

×
73TaTantalum

An exotic physical phenomenon known as a Kohn anomaly has been found for the first time in an unexpected material—tantalum phosphide.

Filtering light waves based on direction using layers of glass and tantalum.

Tantalum crystals predicted to achieve solar efficiencies exceeding 10 percent.

High-temperature tantalum crystal could power everything from smartphones to spacecraft.

Magnetic layer of tantalum demonstrates nanoscale quasi-particles known as skyrmions.

×
74WTungsten

A polymer that mimics mucus is based on tungsten.

Tungsten is semiconducting in its 2-D single layer form.

On the history and future of fusion, which involves uranium.

High-temperature tungsten crystal could power everything from smartphones to spacecraft.

Alloying tougher tungsten to replace depleted uranium in armor-piercing projectiles.

One-molecule-thick material using thungsten to create LEDs, photovoltaic cells, and light detectors.

Tungsten-based transistor combines two different electronic states of matter.

×
75ReRhenium

Electrically-driven process extracts high-purity rhenium used in jet engines.

MIT science editor quilts a commemoration that includes discoverer of rhenium, Ida Noddack.

×
76OsOsmium

Theoretical, superconducting quasiparticle verified using an osmium-based material.

×
77IrIridium

Iridium electrode to study thermodynamic processes in an ultra-high temperature molten oxide.

Engineering a virus to split oxygen from water molecules using iridium.

×
78PtPlatinum

Binary neutron stars are a likely cosmic source of gold, platinum, and other heavy metals.

A new electrochemical cell composed of platinum and other materials to assist in synthesizing epoxides.

Most electrodes used for biomedical devices are made of platinum or platinum-iridium alloys.

Nickel-platinum nanoparticles can be synthesized using liquid cell electron microscopy, leaving behind the more valuable platinum.

Magnetic layer of platinum demonstrates nanoscale quasi-particles known as skyrmions.

Platinum could be used to treat a broader range of cancer types more successfully.

×
79AuGold

Binary neutron stars are a likely cosmic source of gold, platinum, and other heavy metals.

Majorana fermions, particles that are theorized to also be their own antiparticle, have been observed on the surface of gold when in proximity of superconductive vanadium.

A gold-coated sensor in determining water evaporation.

“Gold triangles” show potential for photonic and plasmonic structures.

Copper-gold nanoparticle shows copper’s potential as an energy-efficient method to recycle carbon dioxide.

Selective light absorption of nanostructured gold make it an ideal material for sensors and displays.

Gold nanoparticles shown to easily penetrate cells for delivering drugs.

Turning blood clotting on and off using gold nanorods.

Cardiac patch uses gold nanowires to enhance electrical signaling between cells.

Cancer treatment uses gold nanorods to absorb energy from near-infrared light and re-emit as heat, destroying cancer cells.

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80HgMercury

Professor on why we’re living with the legacy of mercury pollution and the book Mercury Stories.

A new process caused mercury to spread across a surface without a chemical reaction, something never before demonstrated.

Professor details the problem with China’s coal: Mercury in rice.

Related research shows that to be effective, mercury-controlling policies must be more strict the longer countries wait to implement them—about 14% more every 5 years.

×
81TlThallium

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

×
82PbLead

Eliminating lead emissions from small aircraft will require concerted efforts across the aviation sector, in previous research highlighted last year by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Reactors cooled by molten salt and liquid metal (specifically liquid lead and sodium) are the leading candidates for alternatives to today’s water-cooled nuclear reactors.

Engineers have produced a fisheye lens that’s completely flat using a new metalens made out of a single transparent piece of calcium fluoride with a thin film of lead telluride deposited on one side.

Researchers have designed small molecules that spontaneously form nanoribbons when water is added. The nanoribbons are stronger than steel and can pull heavy metals, like lead or arsenic, out of contaminated water.

Removing lead from wastewater via shock electrodialysis.

Using nanofibers in place of expensive filtration systems to remove lead from water.

Isotopic tracers, essential for dating geologic samples, measure decaying lead isotopes.

Students use cigarettes, which contain lead, to compose music based on emitted energy.

×
83BiBismuth

Bismuth was used in a new class of atomically thin materials that are a promising alternative to silicon-based transistors.

Bismuth identified as a new type of topological insulator.

Optical technique to probe magnetism uses an bismuth-based thin film.

Quantum-mechanical mixture of electrons and photons in a bismuth-based insulator.

Never-before-seen photon and electron coupling on the surface of a bismuth-based crystal.

Thin films include bismuth for new semiconductor chips and thermoelectric devices.

Bismuth compound sheds light on superconductivity riddle.

×
84PoPolonium

Students use cigarettes, which contain polonium, to compose music based on emitted energy.

MIT science editor quilts a commemoration that includes discoverer of polonium, Marie Curie.

×
85AtAstatine

MIT science editor quilts a commemoration that includes discoverer of astatine, Berta Karlik.

×
86RnRadon

Radon mapping system addresses degradation of New England’s coastal waters.

MIT Radioactivity Center uses radon needles to produce the first iodine isotope.

×
87FrFrancium

MIT science editor quilts a commemoration that includes discoverer of francium, Marguerite Perey.

MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellow writes about great-great-aunt Marguerite Perey.

×
88RaRadium

In elements like radium, atomic nuclei are strangely pear-shaped, containing an uneven distribution of neutrons and protons within.

Researchers have combined the power of a super collider with techniques of laser spectroscopy to precisely measure radium monofluoride for the first time.

In memory of a professor who pioneered studies in the effects of radium.

MIT science editor quilts a commemoration that includes discoverer of radium, Marie Curie.

×
89AcActinium

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

×
104RfRutherfordium

Professor recognized for developing the fundamental chemistry of rutherfordium by perfecting “one-atom-at-a-time” chemical procedures on its short-lived atoms.

×
105DbDubnium

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

×
106SgSeaborgium

An MIT PhD student was later involved in the discovery of seaborgium.

×
107BhBohrium

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

×
108HsHassium

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

×
109MtMeitnerium

MIT science editor quilts a commemoration that includes namesake of meitnerium, Lise Meitner.

MIT astronomer and writer performs a play about the life and accomplishments of Lise Meitner.

×
110DsDarmstadtium

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

×
111RgRoentgenium

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

×
112CnCopernicium

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

×
113NhNihonium

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

×
114FlFlerovium

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

×
115McMoscovium

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

×
116LvLivermorium

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

×
117TsTennessine

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

×
118OgOganesson

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

×
58CeCerium

The properties of a new type of magnetically-driven electrical response can be attributed to cerium atoms’ unique magnetic moments.

A crystal containing cerium undergoes a new type of magnetically driven electrical response.

Cerium oxide plays a key role in catalytic converters that convert carbon monoxide and nitric oxide into benign gases.

Cerium oxide, used in fuel cells, shown to expand because of an increase in charge localization.

Cerium nanoparticles powers bionic plants.

×
59PrPraseodymium

Characterizing the efficiency of a fuel cell electrode.

Praseodymium shows the greatest activity level in experiments to improve energy storage in fuel cells.

Theoretical, superconducting quasiparticle verified using a praseodymium-based material.

×
60NdNeodymium

Scientists used neodymium nickelate to show how to switch antiferromagnetism on and off to improve memory storage devices.

A new 3D printed miniature pump uses neodymium magnet microparticles to create the pump’s magnetic core.

Acting as either an electrical insulator or conductor, depending on its temperature.

Ratios of strontium to neodymium show India joined with Asia 10 million years later than previously thought.

Study involving neodymium supports new theory about the development of Earth’s early continental crust.

Neodymium glass at the heart of the ambitious effort to measure nuclear fusion.

×
61PmPromethium

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

×
62SmSamarium

Study involving samarium supports new theory about the development of Earth’s early continental crust.

×
63EuEuropium

Majorana fermions, particles that are theorized to also be their own antiparticle, have been observed in a system consisting of nanowires of gold atop vanadium and europium.

Fluorescent polymer gels use europium to detect structural failure in energy-related equipment.

Optical technique to probe magnetism uses an europium-based thin film.

Student awarded outstanding senior thesis for work on europium spin-filter material.

×
64GdGadolinium

A system consisting of gadolinium cobalt allows for the flipping of the magnetic orientation of particles with a small voltage.

Gadolinium overlays used in a device controlling microchip magnetism, opening the doors to computing that consumes drastically less power.

Gadolinium compound demonstrates paired topology and intrinsic magnetism.

Gadolinium emits visible colors when exposed to near-infrared light, in research of smartphone-readable microparticles.

Gadolinium a key ingredient for low-power data storage.

Magnetic layer of gadolinium demonstrates nanoscale quasi-particles known as skyrmions.

×
65TbTerbium

Fluorescent polymer gels use terbium to detect structural failure in energy-related equipment.

×
66DyDysprosium

Study explains how rising demand for wind turbines and electric vehicles could strain supplies of rare earth metals including dysprosium.

×
67HoHolmium

Record-breaking magnet uses holmium, reaching a magnetic field of 37.2 tesla, about 700,000 times greater than the Earth’s magnetic field.

×
68ErErbium

In research benefitting quantum computing, researchers show how a superlattice embedded with erbium nanodots may be immune from dissipating energy to the environment.

Erbium emits visible colors when exposed to near-infrared light, in research of smartphone-readable microparticles.

Professor’s breakthroughs include an on-chip erbium laser using standard silicon manufacturing techniques.

×
69TmThulium

Thulium emits visible colors when exposed to near-infrared light, in research of smartphone-readable microparticles.

×
70YbYtterbium

An atomic clock made out of ytterbium could help scientists detect dark matter and study gravity’s effect on time.

Ytterbium emits visible colors when exposed to near-infrared light, in research of smartphone-readable microparticles.

Boosting development of nanomachines with ytterbium.

×
71LuLutetium

Ratios of lutetium to hafnium measured in research showing India joined with Asia 10 million years later than previously thought.

Insights into hafnium dioxide, a material compatible with silicon processing technology, paves the way for new data applications.

Hafnium for extending life and improving performance of fuel cell electrodes.

Sealing cracks in leaky graphene with hafnium.

×
90ThThorium

Using thorium and uranium dating techniques, researchers found a surprising shift in permafrost over the last 400,000 years.

Measuring thorium determines how quickly dust accumulates on the seafloor.

Graduate student awarded for research involving dissolved thorium in seawater.

Analysis of a rare thorium isotope shows the Sahara swung between green and desert conditions every 20,000 years.

Thorium analysis, this time in stalagmite aging, shows the widespread forest loss in Madagascar 1,000 years ago not due to climate change, but to humans making way for grazing cattle.

Phytoplankton shown to be extremely sensitive to changing levels of desert dust, thanks to an analysis of the removal rate of thorium on the ocean’s surface.

Professor investigates the use of thorium in nuclear reactors to enhance fuel efficiency.

×
91PaProtactinium

MIT science editor quilts a commemoration that includes Lise Meitner, who identified an isotope of protactinium.

×
92UUranium

A new, compact affordable system was able to use neutrons to identify elements such as indium, silver, and uranium.

Using thorium and uranium dating techniques, researchers found a surprising shift in permafrost over the last 400,000 years.

Using the uranium-235 isotope allows next-gen nuclear reactors to run for longer periods of time without having to refuel.

Researchers use uranium-lead geochronology to determine that parts of the Sierra Nevada mountains formed more than twice as fast as previously thought.

A reactor system using uranium-based fuel could function for up to 12 years in space.

Uranium analysis shows the widespread forest loss in Madagascar 1,000 years ago not due to climate change, but to humans making way for grazing cattle.

Early nuclear device can be handled with bare hands, due to the naturally low radiation emissions of its uranium parts.

Student group wins an award for developing an inexpensive hydrogel to extract uranium from water to provide more fuel for nuclear power plants.

×
93NpNeptunium

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

×
94PuPlutonium

Professor recognized for pioneering work in plutonium research.

In memory of a professor and distinguished theoretical astrophysicist who assisted in transporting the plutonium core to the first test site of the Manhattan Project.

×
95AmAmericium

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

×
96CmCurium

MIT science editor quilts a commemoration that includes namesake of curium, Marie Curie.

×
97BkBerkelium

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

×
98CfCalifornium

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

×
99EsEinsteinium

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

×
100FmFermium

Fermium’s namesake, Enrico Fermi, mentored MIT professor Mildred Dresselhaus during her graduate school days, providing an example that would inspire the future physicist throughout the rest of her life.

×
101MdMendelevium

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

×
102NoNobelium

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

×
103LrLawrencium

No contributions have been recorded for this element yet. Know of one? Let us know.

Alkali Metal
Alkaline Earth
Transition Metal
Basic Metal
Metalloid
Nonmetal
Halogen
Noble Gas
Lanthanide
Actinide

Have an addition, correction, or question? Let us know.

This table was created for National Periodic Table Day in 2019 and last updated in 2022.

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