Relativistic effects on the chemistry of heavier elements: why not given proper importance in chemistry education at the undergraduate and postgraduate level?

Abstract

Relativistic effects are important to understand the chemistry of heavier elements across the periodic table (PT). Three important relativistic effects are: contraction of s- and p-orbitals (direct relativistic effect), expansion of d- and f-orbitals (indirect relativistic effect) and spin–orbit (SO) coupling to split the p-, d- and f-orbitals. Each of these effects is approximately proportional to Z 2 (Z = atomic number) for the valence shell electrons in many electron atoms and consequently, these relativistic effects dominantly control the properties of the heavier elements (mainly the 6th and 7th period elements). These aspects are not given the proper importance in most of the inorganic chemistry text books and in chemistry education at the university level.

Keywords

• dirac equation
• relativistic effect
• heavy element chemistry
• inert pair effect
• higher oxidation states
• lead-acid battery
• gold
• auride and platinide
• aurophilicity
• mercury
• amalgamation
• lanthanides
• actinides