Interaction of Elemental Mercury with Selenium Surfaces: Model Experiments for Investigations of Superheavy Elements Copernicium and Flerovium

The adsorption behavior of 197 Hg and 183–185 Hg on red amorphous selenium (red a-Se) and trigonal selenium (t-Se) was investigated experimentally by off-line and on-line gas chromatographic methods, in preparation of a sensitive chemical separation and characterization of the transactinides copernicium (Cn, Z = 112) and flerovium (Fl, Z = 114). Monte-Carlo simulations of a diffusion controlled deposition were in good agreement with the experimental results, assuming as interaction limits −ΔH ads red a-Se (Hg) > 85 kJ/mol, and −ΔH ads t-Se (Hg) < 60 kJ/mol. Both Se allotropes can be used as stationary surfaces in comparative gas-chromatographic chemical investigations of Cn and Fl.