In 1940, Astatine was first synthesized by Dale R. Corson, Kenneth Ross Mackenzie and Emilio Segre at the University of California, Berkley. Astatine is characterized as highly radioactive, is rare for its tiny quantities and the least chemically reactive of the halogens and exhibits the most metallic properties of the halogen group. 3 years later, Berta Karlik, together with Traude Bernert, discovered that the natural occurrence of isotopes of Astatine with atomic number 85 as an intermediate in radioactive decay chains. They found out that the main use of Astatine in radiotherapy is to kill cancer cells. Because of this discovery, she was awarded the Haitlinger-Preis for Chemistry from the Austrian Academy of Sciences in 1947.
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