Gas phase chemistry of the transactinides

In the past few years the gas phase chemistry of the first three transactin ide elements rutherfordium (element 104), dubnium (element 105) and seaborg ium (element 106) has been studied experimentally using OLGA, the On-line G as chemistry Apparatus, developed at Paul Scherrer Institute. In each exper iment, the investigated transactinide element was identified by measuring t he characteristic decay properties of its isotopes. In the chemistry of rut herfordium and dubnium evidence for relativistic effects were found, as pre dicted previously in theoretical calculations. For the first time, the vola tility of Sg oxychlorides in comparison to its lighter homologues W and Mo was measured. Also, the half-lives and SF-branches of the nuclides (265)Sg and (266)Sg were determined. Finally, prospects for a chemical separation o f bohrium (element 107) and hassium (element 108) using gas phase chemistry will be discussed.