Extremes of the Periodic Table Under Extreme Conditions

Elements beyond uranium are rich testbeds for probing how relativistic effects alter electronic structure and hence molecular structure, physical properties, and reactivity. However, many questions arise during these studies including: Can we push these elements to display properties that they would not normally exhibit under ambient conditions and perhaps provide better clarity on how relativistic effects manifest? To provide some answers to these questions we have been altering the chemistry and physical properties of complexes and compounds containing transuranium elements by pressurizing them using diamond anvil cells to modify their molecular and electronic structures. This talk will detail these ongoing investigations.