superactinide

Any of a theoretical series of superheavy, radioactive elements, starting with atomic number 113, that extend beyond the transactinide series in the periodic table. They do not occur in nature and none has yet been synthesized.

It is postulated that this series has a group of elements that have half-lives longer than those of the transactinide series.

This group, centred on element 114, is referred to as the ‘island of stability’, based on the nucleon arrangement. The longer half-lives will, it is hoped, allow enough time for their chemical and physical properties to be studied when they have been synthesized.