FLUORINE

 Fluorine

 

  The most reactive element on the periodic table, fluorine has a violent history in its quest for discovery.  Despite the difficult and sometimes explosive properties of fluorine, it is an important element for humans and animals, which is why it is commonly found in drinking water and toothpaste.

  Fluorine

  Early chemists spent years trying to separate the element from different fluorides.  It was not until 1986 that the German chemist Carl O. Christie successfully synthesized fluorine, and reported his findings in the journal Inorganic Chemistry.  Fluorine is not free in nature.  But in 2012, researchers found a small amount of fluorine trapped in a type of radioactive fluorite, anthocyanate.

  For centuries, mineral fluoride was used in metal refining.  Calcium fluoride (CaF2) today, according to the chemical, was used as a flow to separate pure metal from unwanted minerals in ore.  "Floor" comes from the Latin word "floor", which means "flowing" because the floorspar allowed metals to do just that.  According to Jefferson Laboratory, the mineral was also called bohemian emerald and was used in glass etching.

 

  Over the decades, many scientists have tried to experiment with fluorescein in order to better understand its properties as well as its structure.  In their experiments, chemists often developed fluoric acid (now called hydrofluoric acid, HF), an incredibly reactive and dangerous acid.  According to Chemicool, even small sprays of this acid on the skin can be fatal.  In some experiments, many scientists were injured, blinded or killed.

 

  In the early 19th century, Andre Marie Empire, a scientist in France, and Humphrey Dewey in England corresponded on the possibility of a new element in acid.  In 1813 Dewey announced the discovery of a new element and named it fluorine at the suggestion of Ampere.

 

  Henry Moissen, a French chemist, finally isolated fluorine in 1886 - after being poisoned several times.  He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1906 for isolating fluorine by electrolysis of dry potassium hydrogen fluoride (KHF2) and dry hydrofluoric acid.

  Use of fluorine

  According to the Royal Society, fluorine salts, or fluoride, have been used for many years to cool welding and glass, according to the Royal Society.  For example, hydrofluoric acid is used to stretch the glass of light bulbs.

  According to the Royal Society, fluorine is a key element in the nuclear energy industry.  It is used to make uranium hexafluoride, which is needed to isolate uranium isotopes.  Sulfur hexa fluoride is a gas used to insulate high power transformers.

  Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were once used in aerosols, refrigerators, air conditioners, foam food packaging, and fire extinguishers.  According to the National Institutes of Health, their use has been banned since 1996 because they contribute to ozone depletion.  Prior to 2009, CFCs were used in inhalers to control asthma, but in 2013 this type of inhaler was phased out.

  Fluorine is used in many fluorochemicals, including solvents and high temperature plastics, such as Teflon (poly (tetrafluoroethene), PTFE).  Teflon is known for its non-stick properties and is used in frying pans.  It is also used for cable insulation, plumbing tape and as a base for Gore-Tex® (used in waterproof shoes and clothing).

  According to Jefferson Labs, fluorine is added to the city's water supply at a rate of about one part per million to help prevent dental caries.  Toothpaste contains many fluoride compounds, which also help prevent tooth decay.

  The health and environmental effects of fluorine

  Although all humans and animals need a small amount of fluorine, any large amount of the element is highly toxic and dangerous.  According to Lenntech, fluorine can be found naturally in small amounts in both water, air, and plant and animal foods.  Large amounts of fluorine are found in some food products such as tea and shellfish.

  Although small amounts of fluorine are needed to maintain the strength of our bones and teeth, large amounts of osteoporosis or tooth decay can have side effects, as well as potential damage to the kidneys, nerves and muscles.  Can deliver

  Fluorine in its gaseous form is incredibly dangerous.  According to Lenntech, small amounts of fluorine gas can irritate the eyes and nose, while large amounts can be fatal.  According to the chemical, hydrofluoric acid, another example, can be fatal even with a small spray on the skin.

  In the atmosphere, fluorine is the 13th most abundant element in the earth's crust, usually settles inside the soil and easily mixes with soil, rock, coal and clay, according to Lenntech.  Plants can absorb fluorine from the soil, although too much concentration can cause damage.  For example, corn and apricots are among the plants that are most susceptible to exposure to high levels of fluorine and reduce growth.

  Who knew

  Because fluorine is the most chemically reactive element, it must be handled with extreme caution as it can sometimes explode in contact with all elements except oxygen, helium, neon and krypton.

  According to the Royal Society of Chemistry, steel wool explodes in flames when exposed to fluorine.

  Fluorine is also the most electrically negative element.  Fluorine attracts electrons more easily than any other element.

  The average amount of fluorine in the human body is three milligrams.

  According to the Minerals Education Coalition, fluorine is mined mainly in China, Mongolia, Russia, Mexico and South Africa.

  According to a 2014 article published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, fluorine is produced in stars like the Sun by the end of their lives.  This element is formed inside the star under high pressure and temperature when it expands to become a red giant.  When the outer layers of a star are pushed away, it forms a planetary nebula, fluorine travels with other gases in interstellar medium, and eventually new stars and planets are formed.

  According to the Journal of Chemistry, about 25% of all medicines and drugs, including cancer, the central nervous system, and the cardiovascular system, contain some form of fluorine.

  Current research

  Although fluorine can be toxic when concentrated in the body, it can also be a beneficial factor in cancer medicine, according to a 2018 article published in the Journal of Fluorine Chemistry.  According to research, replacing carbon-hydrogen or carbon-oxygen bonds in the active ingredients of a drug with carbon-fluorine bonds generally indicates an improvement in drug efficacy, including higher metabolic stability, binding with target molecules.  Increases, and increases.  Membrane permeability.  It is hoped that with the increasing effectiveness of medications, with tumor-specific targeted drugs or targeted drug delivery systems, the quality of life of cancer patients can be significantly improved compared to traditional methods such as chemotherapy.  Cancer cells, along with healthy cells, are targeted by drugs.

  According to the study, fluorine probes have been tested against cancer stem cells to supply this new generation of cancer-fighting drugs, as well as drugs, and it promises to target and fight cancer stem cells.  Shown.  The researchers found that fluorine drugs were many times more effective against various cancer stem cells and showed better stability than traditional anti-cancer drugs.