44
Ru
Ruthenium
Atomic Mass 101.07
Electron Configuration [Kr]5s14d7
Oxidation States +3
Year Discovered 1827

Identifiers

Element Name Ruthenium
Element Symbol Ru
InChI InChI=1S/Ru
InChIKey KJTLSVCANCCWHF-UHFFFAOYSA-N

Properties

Atomic Weight

101.07(2)

101.07

101.1

101.07(2)

Electron Configuration

[Kr]5s14d7

Atomic Radius

Van der Waals Atomic Radius : 207 pm (Van der Waals)

Empirical Atomic Radius : 130pm (Empirical)

Covalent Atomic Radius : 146(7) pm (Covalent)

Oxidation States

+3

-4, -2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 ​(a mildly acidic oxide)

Ground Level

5F5

Ionization Energy

7.361 eV

7.36050 ± 0.00005 eV

Electronegativity

Pauling Scale Electronegativity : 2.2(Pauling Scale)

Allen Scale Electronegativity : 1.54(Allen Scale)

Electron Affinity

1.05eV

1.51eV

Atomic Spectra

Lines Holdings

Levels Holdings

Physical Description

Solid

Element Classification

Metal

Element Period Number

5

Element Group Number

8

Density

12.1 grams per cubic centimeter

Melting Point

2607 K (2334°C or 4233°F)

2334°C

Boiling Point

4423 K (4150°C or 7502°F)

4150°C

Estimated Crustal Abundance

1×10-3 milligrams per kilogram

Estimated Oceanic Abundance

7×10-7 milligrams per liter

History

The name derives from the Latin ruthenia for the old name of Russia. It was discovered in a crude platinum ore by the Russian chemist Gottfried Wilhelm Osann in 1828. Osann thought that he had found three new metals in the sample, pluranium, ruthenium, and polinium. In 1844, Russian chemist Karl Karlovich Klaus was able to show that Osann's mistake was due to the impurity of the sample, and Klaus was able to isolate the ruthenium metal.

Ruthenium was discovered by Karl Karlovich Klaus, a Russian chemist, in 1844 while analyzing the residue of a sample of platinum ore obtained from the Ural mountains. Apparently, Jedrzej Sniadecki, a Polish chemist, had produced ruthenium in 1807 but he withdrew his claim of discovery after other scientists failed to replicate his results. Ruthenium tends to occur along with deposits of platinum and is primarily obtained as a byproduct of mining and refining platinum. Ruthenium is also obtained as a byproduct of the nickel mining operation in the Sudbury region of Ontario, Canada.

From the Latin word Ruthenia, Russia. In 1827, Berzelius and Osann examined the residues left after dissolving crude platinum from the Ural mountains in aqua regia. While Berzelius found no unusual metals, Osann thought he found three new metals, one of which he named ruthenium. In 1844 Klaus, generally recognized as the discoverer, showed that Osann's ruthenium oxide was very impure and that it contained a new metal. Klaus obtained 6 g of ruthenium from the portion of crude platinum that is insoluble in aqua regia.

Historical Atomic Weights

Year Atomic Weight (uncertainty) [u] Reference
1983 101.07(2) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198456060653
1969 101.07(3) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197021010091
1961 101.07 https://doi.org/10.1021/ja00881a001
1953 101.1 https://doi.org/10.1039/JR9540004713
1902 101.7 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01370337

Historical Isotopic Abundances

Year Isotope Abundance (uncertainty) Reference
1997 96Ru 0.0554(14) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199870010217
1997 98Ru 0.0187(3) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199870010217
1997 99Ru 0.1276(14) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199870010217
1997 100Ru 0.1260(7) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199870010217
1997 101Ru 0.1706(2) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199870010217
1997 102Ru 0.3155(14) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199870010217
1997 104Ru 0.1862(27) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199870010217
1989 96Ru 0.0552(6) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199163070991
1989 98Ru 0.0188(6) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199163070991
1989 99Ru 0.127(1) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199163070991
1989 100Ru 0.126(1) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199163070991
1989 101Ru 0.170(1) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199163070991
1989 102Ru 0.316(2) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199163070991
1989 104Ru 0.187(2) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199163070991
1979 96Ru 0.0552(5) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198052102349
1979 98Ru 0.0188(5) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198052102349
1979 99Ru 0.127(1) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198052102349
1979 100Ru 0.126(1) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198052102349
1979 101Ru 0.170(1) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198052102349
1979 102Ru 0.316(2) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198052102349
1979 104Ru 0.187(2) https://doi.org/10.1351/pac198052102349
1975 96Ru 0.055 https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197647010075
1975 98Ru 0.019 https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197647010075
1975 99Ru 0.127 https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197647010075
1975 100Ru 0.126 https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197647010075
1975 101Ru 0.171 https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197647010075
1975 102Ru 0.316 https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197647010075
1975 104Ru 0.186 https://doi.org/10.1351/pac197647010075

Description

Ruthenium is a hard, white metal and has four crystal modifications. It does not tarnish at room temperatures, but oxidizes explosively. It is attacked by halogens, hydroxides, etc. Ruthenium can be plated by electrodeposition or by thermal decomposition methods. The metal is one of the most effective hardeners for platinum and palladium, and is alloyed with these metals to make electrical contacts for severe wear resistance. A ruthenium-molybdenum alloy is said to be superconductive at 10.6 K. The corrosion resistance of titanium is improved a hundredfold by addition of 0.1% ruthenium. It is a versatile catalyst. Hydrogen sulfide can be split catalytically by light using an aqueous suspension of CdS particles loaded with ruthenium dioxide. It is thought this may have application to removal of H2S from oil refining and other industrial processes. Compounds in at least eight oxidation states have been found, but of these, the +2, +3, and +4 states are the most common. Ruthenium tetroxide, like osmium tetroxide, is highly toxic. In addition, it may explode. Ruthenium compounds show a marked resemblance to those of cadmium.

Users

Ruthenium is primarily used as an alloying agent. Adding 0.1% ruthenium to titanium makes titanium 100 times more resistant to corrosion. Small amounts of ruthenium are added to platinum and palladium to strengthen them. These alloys are used in jewelry and in electrical contacts that must resist wear.

Sources

A member of the platinum group, ruthenium occurs native with other members of the group in ores found in the Ural mountains and in North and South America. It is also found along with other platinum metals in small but commercial quantities in pentlandite in the Sudbury, Ontario nickel-mining region, and in the pyroxinite deposits of South Africa.

Compounds

See more information at the Ruthenium compound page.

Element Forms

CID Name Formula SMILES Molecular Weight
23950 ruthenium Ru [Ru] 101.1
168052 ruthenium(3+) Ru+3 [Ru+3] 101.1
26359 ruthenium-106 Ru [106Ru] 105.90733
104749 ruthenium-103 Ru [103Ru] 102.906315
161146 ruthenium-97 Ru [97Ru] 96.90755
167067 ruthenium-105 Ru [105Ru] 104.90775
177597 ruthenium-99 Ru [99Ru] 98.905930
3792939 ruthenium(2+) Ru+2 [Ru+2] 101.1
4052590 ruthenium(1+) Ru+ [Ru+] 101.1
176428 ruthenium-110 Ru [110Ru] 109.91404
177504 ruthenium-102 Ru [102Ru] 101.904340
177565 ruthenium-94 Ru [94Ru] 93.91134
5461100 ruthenium(4+) Ru+4 [Ru+4] 101.1
10313088 ruthenium(6+) Ru+6 [Ru+6] 101.1
20078733 ruthenium(8+) Ru+8 [Ru+8] 101.1
154082879 ruthenium(5+) Ru+5 [Ru+5] 101.1
11446294 ruthenium-95 Ru [95Ru] 94.9104

Isotopes

Stable Isotope Count 7

Isotopes in Earth/Planetary Science

100Ru is the product of a rare (and hence very long-lived) nuclear decay process from the double beta decay of 100Mo. A careful measurement of the half-life for this decay, which is 7.1×1018 years, can be used to place an upper limit on the mass of the electron neutrino, which is a neutral and weakly interacting subatomic particle first postulated by Wolfgang Pauli in 1930 [326].

Ruthenium and molybdenum share many similarities. They both have seven isotopes (96, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, and 104 for ruthenium and 92, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, and 100 for molybdenum), and their isotopes are formed by the same nucleosynthesisp-processes, r-processes, and s-processes, namely, p, r, s and r, s only, s and r, s and r, and r, respectively. The molybdenum and ruthenium isotopic composition of most meteorites lie along a mixing line (Fig. IUPAC.44.1). The ruthenium and molybdenum of silicates in the Earth also lie on this line, which supports the hypothesis that the Earth accreted homogeneously. That is, the feeding zone of the Earth did not change substantially over time as both the bulk of the Earth and the late veneer accreted from material having the same ruthenium-molybdenum isotopic reservoir [327].

Fig. IUPAC.44.1: Cross plot of n(¹⁰⁰Ru)/n(¹⁰¹Ru) isotope-amount ratio [328], [329] and n(⁹²Mo)/n(⁹⁶Mo) isotope-amount ratio [330], [331] of selected meteorite groups (modified from [327]), assuming a measured n(¹⁰⁰Ru)/n(¹⁰¹Ru) isotope-amount ratio of 0.738 48 [332] and a measured n(⁹²Mo)/n(⁹⁶Mo) isotope-amount ratio of 0.878 61 [318].

[318] A. J. Mayer, M. E. Wieser. J. Anal. At. Spectrom.29, 85 (2014).
[326] M. J. Hornish, L. De Braeckeleer, A. S. Barabash, V. I. Umatov. Phys. Rev. C74, 044314 (2006).
[327] N. Dauphas, A. M. Davis, B. Marty, L. Reisberg. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett.226, 465 (2004).
[328] J. H. Chen, D. A. Papanastassiou, G. J. Wasserburg. Lunar Planet. Sci. XXXIV 1789 (2003).
[329] D. A. Papanastassiou, J. H. Chen, G. J. Wasserburg. Lunar Planet.Sci. XXXV 1828 (2004).
[330] N. Dauphas, B. Marty, L. Reisberg. Astrophys. J.565, 640 (2002).
[331] N. Dauphas, B. Marty, L. Reisberg. Astrophys. J.569, L139 (2002).
[332] M. Huang, A. Masuda. Anal. Chem.69, 1135 (1997).

Isotopes in Medicine

106Ru plaque brachytherapy has been used for eye preservation and tumor control of uveal (the middle layer of the wall of the eye) melanoma [333]. The half-life of 106Ru is 373 days.

[333] L. Tarmann, W. Wackernagel, A. Avian, C. Mayer, M. Schneider, P. Winkler, G. Langmann. Br. J. Ophthalmol.99, 1644 (2015).

Isotopes Used as a Source of Radioactive Isotope(s)

96Ru is used to produce radioisotopes 94Ru (with a half-life of 52 min) and 95Ru (with half-life of about 1.64 h) via the reactions 96Ru (n, 3n) 94Ru and 96Ru (n, 2n) 95Ru, respectively (Fig. IUPAC.44.2) [334], [335]. 104Ru is used to produce the radioisotope 105Rh (with a half-life of about 35 h) via the reaction 104Ru (p, γ) 105Rh. 105Rh has been used in the treatment of bone pain [334].

Fig. IUPAC.44.2: The 88-Inch cyclotron was used to produce both light and heavy ions, including ⁹⁴Ru and ⁹⁵Ru. (Photo Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) [336].

[334] A. R. Ketring, G. J. Ehrhardt, M. F. Embree, T. T. Tyler, J. A. Gawenis, S. S. Jurisson, H. P. Engelbrecht, C. J. Smith, C. S. Cutler. Alasbimn J.5 (19), (2003).
[335] J. W. Arblaster. Platinum Met. Rev.55, 124 (2011).
[336] Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. History-The 88-Inch Cyclotron, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (2014), Feb. 26; http://user88.lbl.gov/cyclotron-history.

Isotope Mass and Abundance

Isotope Atomic Mass (uncertainty) [u] Abundance (uncertainty)
96Ru 95.907 589(1) 0.0554(14) 0.0554(14)
98Ru 97.905 29(5) 0.0187(3) 0.0187(3)
99Ru 98.905 930(3) 0.1276(14) 0.1276(14)
100Ru 99.904 211(3) 0.1260(7) 0.1260(7)
101Ru 100.905 573(3) 0.1706(2) 0.1706(2)
102Ru 101.904 340(3) 0.3155(14) 0.3155(14)
104Ru 103.905 43(2) 0.1862(27) 0.1862(27)

Atomic Mass, Half Life, and Decay

Nuclide Atomic Mass and Uncertainty [u] Half Life and Uncertainty Discovery Year Decay Modes, Intensities and Uncertainties [%]
85Ru 84.967117 ± 0.000537 [Estimated] 1 ms >400ns [Estimated] 2013 β+ ?; β+p ?; p ?
86Ru 85.957305 ± 0.000429 [Estimated] 50 ms >400ns [Estimated] 2013 β+ ?; β+p ?
87Ru 86.950907 ± 0.000429 [Estimated] 50 ms >1.5us [Estimated] 1995 β+ ?; β+p ?
88Ru 87.941664 ± 0.000322 [Estimated] 1.5 s ± 0.3 1994 β+=100%; β+p<3.6%
89Ru 88.937337849 ± 0.000026 1.32 s ± 0.03 1992 β+=100%; β+p=3.1±0.2%
90Ru 89.930344378 ± 0.000004004 11.7 s ± 0.9 1991 β+=100%
91Ru 90.926741530 ± 0.000002384 8.0 s ± 0.4 1983 β+=100%; β+p ?
91Rum 90.926741530 ± 0.000002384 7.6 s ± 0.8 1983 β+≈100%; β+p=?; IT ?
92Ru 91.920234373 ± 0.000002917 3.65 m ± 0.05 1971 β+=100%
92Rum 91.920234373 ± 0.000002917 100 ns ± 8 1980 IT=100%
93Ru 92.917104442 ± 0.000002216 59.7 s ± 0.6 1972 β+=100%
93Rum 92.917104442 ± 0.000002216 10.8 s ± 0.3 1983 β+=78.0±2.3%; IT=22.0±2.3%; β+p=0.027±0.5%
93Run 92.917104442 ± 0.000002216 2.30 us ± 0.07 1983 IT=100%
94Ru 93.911342860 ± 0.000003374 51.8 m ± 0.6 1952 β+=100%
94Rum 93.911342860 ± 0.000003374 67.5 us ± 2.8 1971 IT=100%
95Ru 94.910404415 ± 0.0000102 1.607 h ± 0.004 1948 β+=100%
96Ru 95.907588910 ± 0.000000182 Stable >80Ey 1931 IS=5.54±1.4%; 2β+ ?
97Ru 96.907545776 ± 0.000002965 2.8370 d ± 0.0014 1946 β+=100%
98Ru 97.905286709 ± 0.000006937 Stable 1944 IS=1.87±0.3%
99Ru 98.905930284 ± 0.000000368 Stable 1931 IS=12.76±1.4%
100Ru 99.904210460 ± 0.000000367 Stable 1931 IS=12.60±0.7%
101Ru 100.905573086 ± 0.000000443 Stable 1931 IS=17.06±0.2%
101Rum 100.905573086 ± 0.000000443 17.5 us ± 0.4 1974 IT=100%
102Ru 101.904340312 ± 0.000000446 Stable 1931 IS=31.55±1.4%
103Ru 102.906314846 ± 0.000000473 39.245 d ± 0.008 1945 β-=100%
103Rum 102.906314846 ± 0.000000473 1.69 ms ± 0.07 1964 IT=100%
104Ru 103.905425312 ± 0.000002682 Stable 1931 IS=18.62±2.7%; 2β- ?
105Ru 104.907745478 ± 0.000002683 4.439 h ± 0.011 1945 β-=100%
105Rum 104.907745478 ± 0.000002683 340 ns ± 15 1974 IT=100%
106Ru 105.907328181 ± 0.000005787 371.8 d ± 1.8 1948 β-=100%
107Ru 106.909969837 ± 0.00000931 3.75 m ± 0.05 1951 β-=100%
108Ru 107.910185793 ± 0.000009318 4.55 m ± 0.05 1955 β-=100%
109Ru 108.913323707 ± 0.000009612 34.4 s ± 0.2 1967 β-=100%
109Rum 108.913323707 ± 0.000009612 680 ns ± 30 1976 IT=100%
110Ru 109.914038501 ± 0.00000958 12.04 s ± 0.17 1970 β-=100%
111Ru 110.917567566 ± 0.000010394 2.12 s ± 0.07 1971 β-=100%
112Ru 111.918806922 ± 0.000010305 1.75 s ± 0.07 1970 β-=100%
113Ru 112.922846729 ± 0.000041097 800 ms ± 50 1988 β-=100%
113Rum 112.922846729 ± 0.000041097 510 ms ± 30 1998 β-= ?; IT= ?
114Ru 113.924614430 ± 0.000003817 540 ms ± 30 1991 β-=100%; β-n ?; β-2n ?
115Ru 114.929033049 ± 0.000027016 318 ms ± 19 1992 β-=100%; β-n ?
115Rum 114.929033049 ± 0.000027016 76 ms ± 6 2010 IT= ?; β-= ?
116Ru 115.931219191 ± 0.000004 204 ms ± 6 1994 β-=100%; β-n ?
117Ru 116.936135000 ± 0.000465 151 ms ± 3 1994 β-=100%; β-n ?
117Rum 116.936135000 ± 0.000465 2.49 us ± 0.06 2012 IT=100%
118Ru 117.938808 ± 0.000215 [Estimated] 99 ms ± 3 1994 β-=100%; β-n ?
119Ru 118.944090 ± 0.000322 [Estimated] 69.5 ms ± 2.0 1997 β-=100%; β-n ?; β-2n ?
119Rum 118.944090 ± 0.000322 [Estimated] 384 ns ± 22 2012 IT=100%
120Ru 119.946623 ± 0.000429 [Estimated] 45 ms ± 2 2010 β-=100%; β-n ?
121Ru 120.952098 ± 0.000429 [Estimated] 29 ms ± 2 2010 β-=100%; β-n ?; β-2n ?
122Ru 121.955147 ± 0.000537 [Estimated] 25 ms ± 1 2010 β-=100%; β-n ?; β-2n ?
123Ru 122.960762 ± 0.000537 [Estimated] 19 ms ± 2 2010 β-=100%; β-n ?; β-2n ?
124Ru 123.963940 ± 0.000644 [Estimated] 15 ms ± 3 2010 β-=100%; β-n ?; β-2n ?
125Ru 124.969544 ± 0.000322 [Estimated] 12 ms >550ns [Estimated] 2018 β- ?; β-n ?; β-2n ?

Information Sources

  1. 1.  PubChem
  2. 2.  Atomic Mass Data Center (AMDC), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
  3. 3.  IUPAC Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights (CIAAW)
  4. 4.  Jefferson Lab, U.S. Department of Energy
    LICENSE
    Please see citation and linking information https https://www.jlab.org/privacy-and-security-notice
  5. 5.  Los Alamos National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy
  6. 6.  NIST Physical Measurement Laboratory
  7. 7.  IUPAC Periodic Table of the Elements and Isotopes (IPTEI)
    LICENSE
    Copyright (c) 2020 International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) contribution within Pubchem is provided under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license, unless otherwise stated.
    https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
  8. 8.  PubChem Elements
    Ruthenium

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