Uses and Compounds

A. Uses

According to Exploring Chemical Elements and their Compounds, "there are presently no commercial applications for curium" (344). However, curium, especially ²⁴²Cm, may possibly be a fuel for a portable, lightweight thermoelectric power generator" and "a sub-miniature atomic power plant" (344). It has been known that ²⁴²Cm generates "three watts of thermal energy per gram," meaning 100g of ²⁴²Cm can be use in thermoelectric nuclide batteries ("Curium Rutherford Lexicon der Elemente). Curium was also the alpha particle source source for the Alpha Proton X-Ray spectrometer on Mars. Isotopes 242 and 244 "can be use as compact, long-lived sources of electricity from the conversion of heat from radioactive decay by thermoelectric and thermoionic devices" ("Curium" AEE Metal Powders and Compounds). Most compounds put together by Seaborg, James, and Ghiorso "have no practical applications outside research laboratories" (Exploring Chemical Elements and their Compounds).

B. Common Compounds involving Curium

Courtesy of WebElements

Fluorides

Formula	Data
CmF₃	name: curium (III) fluoride formula weight: 304.066 formal oxidation number of Cm: 3 electronic configuration of Cm: [Rn].5f⁷
CmF₄	name: curium (IV) fluoride formula weight: 323.064 formal oxidation number of Cm: 4 electronic configuration of Cm: [Rn].5f⁶

Chlorides

Formula	Data
CmCl₃	name: curium (III) chloride formula weight: 353.428 formal oxidation number of Cm: 3 electronic configuration of Cm: [Rn].5f⁷

Bromides

Formula	Data
CmBr₃	name: curium (III) bromide formula weight: 486.782 formal oxidation number of Cm: 3 electronic configuration of Cm: [Rn].5f⁷

Iodides

Formula	Data
CmI₃	name: curium (III) iodide formula weight: 627.784 formal oxidation number of Cm: 3 electronic configuration of Cm: [Rn].5f⁷

"Curium." WebElements. http://www.shef.ac.uk/chemistry/web-elements/snds/Cm.au. (27 Dec. 1998).

Other compounds that are not listed above include Curium dioxide (CmO₂) and Curium trioxide (CmO₃).