The Loose Connection between Electron Configuration and the Chemical Behavior of the Heavy Elements (Transuranics)

There is no straightforward relation between the ground electron configuration of the neutral atom and the chemistry of a given element. In particular, the choice of oxidation state depends on the comparison between consecutive ionization energies of the gaseous ions and the hydration energy or Madelung energy which by preference stabilizes increased oxidation numbers. Special ligands, such as oxide, may introduce unexpectedly high oxidation numbers. The baricenters of electron configurations are discussed with vanadium and thorium as specific examples. The chemistry of the elements with Z = 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, and 112 (of which some thousand atoms have been reported) and the (yet unknown) elements with Z=108, 109, 114, 126, 164, and 184 is discussed.