Darmstadtium (Ds)
Element 110 · Transition metal · atomic mass [281] u · group 10, period 7
Electron shells: 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 16, 2
Darmstadtium was created by fusing lead and nickel nuclei, producing a handful of atoms. Its most stable known isotope lasts around ten seconds.
The first darmstadtium experiment ran for a week and produced exactly four atoms.
- Atomic number
- 110
- Atomic mass
- [281] u
- Electron configuration
- [Rn] 7s² 5f¹⁴ 6d⁸
- Group · period · block
- 10 · 7 · d
- Oxidation states
- 0, +2, +4, +6, +8
- Electronegativity
- Not measured
- Melting point
- —
- Boiling point
- —
- Density
- Not measured
- State at 20 °C
- Unknown
- Appearance
- Unknown; presumed metallic
- Discovered
- Sigurd Hofmann and colleagues, 1994
110 protons, and 110 electrons when neutral
Mass number of the longest-lived isotope — no standard atomic weight exists
Predicted, not measured
Nickel group
What Darmstadtium is used for
- Scientific research only
Atomic structure of Darmstadtium
A neutral darmstadtium atom has 110 protons and 110 electrons. Its most common isotope carries about 171 neutrons, which is where the mass number 281 comes from. Change the neutron count and you have a different isotope of darmstadtium; change the proton count and you have a different element entirely.
Those electrons fill shells from the inside out: 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 16, 2. In orbital notation that is [Rn] 7s² 5f¹⁴ 6d⁸. As a d-block element its valence count is variable, which is why it can form compounds in several oxidation states.
3D electron orbitals
See where Darmstadtium's electrons actually are — a cloud of 26,000 points sampled from the probability density |ψ|², not a cartoon of a lobe.
Where Darmstadtium sits in the periodic table
The d-block. Multiple stable oxidation states give them coloured compounds, catalytic ability and the strength that makes them the working metals of industry.
- Directly above: Platinum — same group, so similar chemistry with a smaller atom.
- One proton lighter: Meitnerium.
- One proton heavier: Roentgenium.
Discovery and naming
Darmstadtium was discovered by Sigurd Hofmann and colleagues in 1994. Its name comes from Darmstadt, Germany, which is also why its symbol (Ds) does not match its English name.
Every isotope of darmstadtium is radioactive, so it has no standard atomic weight. Periodic tables show the mass number of its longest-lived isotope in square brackets instead.
Keep exploring
Atomic weight from IUPAC/CIAAW; physical properties from PubChem (US National Library of Medicine). Values that have never been measured are shown as “not measured” rather than estimated.
Related Calculators
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the atomic mass of Darmstadtium?
Darmstadtium has no stable isotope, so it has no standard atomic weight. Periodic tables instead show 281 in square brackets — the mass number of its longest-lived isotope.
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does Darmstadtium have?
Darmstadtium has 110 protons, because the atomic number is the proton count and that is what makes an atom Darmstadtium at all. A neutral Darmstadtium atom has the same number of electrons, 110. The neutron count varies by isotope; the most common one has about 171, since 281 − 110 = 171.
What is the electron configuration of Darmstadtium?
The electron configuration of Darmstadtium is [Rn] 7s² 5f¹⁴ 6d⁸, though for an element this heavy the configuration is predicted from theory rather than measured. Its electrons are arranged 2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 16, 2 across 7 shells.
Is Darmstadtium a metal?
Yes. Darmstadtium is classified as a transition metal, on the metallic side of the table.
What group and period is Darmstadtium in?
Darmstadtium is in group 10 (the nickel group), period 7, in the d-block. The group is its column and the period is its row.
What is Darmstadtium used for?
Scientific research only. Darmstadtium was created by fusing lead and nickel nuclei, producing a handful of atoms.
Who discovered Darmstadtium, and where does its name come from?
Darmstadtium (Ds) was discovered by Sigurd Hofmann and colleagues in 1994. The name comes from Darmstadt, Germany.
Is Darmstadtium radioactive?
Yes. Every isotope of Darmstadtium is radioactive — it has no stable form at all, which is why the periodic table shows its mass in square brackets rather than as a standard atomic weight.