Rutherfordium Properties

All Rutherfordium properties were studies only with single atoms of ²⁵⁹Rf (T_1/2 = 3 seconds). First chemical experiments were carried out in 1966 in USSR by Zavarova. It was shown, that the properties of RfCl₃ are very similar to those of HfCl₃ and significantly different from actinides chloride. In this experiment Rutherfordium was synthesized via reaction ²⁴²Pu(²²Ne,5n)²⁵⁹Rf with consequent slowing down the rutherfordium atoms in a stream of N₂ gas (150 kPa, 300-350°C) with added chloride-rich compounds (NbCl₅ with ZrCl₄ or TiCl₄ with SOCl₂). After this chlorides of all actinides were suspended on the chamber walls, but the RfCl₃ stay in gaseous state and subsequently registered by spontaneous pressure. In total, during these experiments 12 atoms of Rutherfordium were detected.