Naming The Elements

Contrary to the implied statement in the book review of Hugh Aldersey-Williams’ “Periodic Tales” (no doubt the author’s error, not the reviewer’s), IUPAC does not suggest new element names (C&EN, May 2, page 35). When a joint committee of IUPAC and IUPAP agrees that a new element has been synthesized, it invites the group that first isolated it to suggest a name. Their suggestion then goes through the normal IUPAC review system before final approval. The reason hassium and darmstadtium have a German origin is because these elements were first isolated at the Institute for Heavy Ion Research, in Darmstadt.

By Gerry Moss
London