Doublet Separations #

At 4f = 4.1 eV

At 4d = 26.45 eV

Common Overlaps for At 4f #

Auger Energies #

Note – these are listed in KINETIC ENERGY

At NOO ≈ 76 eV

Common Binding Energies – At 4f #

Theory and Background #

As of now, there is no record of XPS being performed directly on astatine. The element’s extreme rarity, high radioactivity, and very short half-life have made such physical spectroscopy experiments exceptionally challenging. However, some related electronic properties of astatine have been measured using laser-photodetachment spectroscopy, which is a different technique focused on measuring the electron affinity rather than collecting a conventional photoelectron spectrum. Recent work reported the first direct measurement of astatine’s electron affinity using this approach, but this is not equivalent to a full PES study.

Electron Affinity and Ionization Potential #

• The electron affinity of astatine was recently measured as 2.41578(7) eV using laser-photodetachment spectroscopy, not PES.

• The first ionization potential of astatine (the energy required to remove one electron from the atom) was determined using laser spectroscopy near the ionization threshold, not by classic PES techniques.

Challenges with PES on Astatine #

• Extreme Scarcity: Astatine is the rarest naturally occurring element on Earth.

• High Radioactivity: All isotopes of astatine are highly radioactive, with very short half-lives.

• Technical Infeasibility: Typical PES setups require relatively stable, macroscopic samples, which are not feasible for astatine.

Experimental Advice #

Only a handful of non-photoemission spectroscopic measurements exist for astatine, usually focusing on its ionization potential or electron affinity, obtained with specialized laser techniques rather than surface-sensitive XPS or UPS. This is due to the extreme radioactivity, toxicity, and scarcity of astatine.

Data Analysis Guidance #

No lab has published X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) or ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) data for elemental astatine. This is due to several intrinsic limitations: astatine is extremely rare, all its isotopes are highly radioactive and have very short half-lives, and only minute amounts can be produced, making conventional surface spectroscopies such as XPS or UPS essentially impossible for actual samples of the elemental form.

Limitations Behind the Absence #

• Lack of Reference Spectra: Modern spectral libraries and reference collections for XPS and UPS do not include elemental astatine.

• No Published Experimental XPS/UPS Data: Reviews and research on astatine consistently note the absence of conventional analytical data because standard spectroscopic and characterization methods cannot be applied to such minuscule and unstable samples.

• Theoretical Work Only: Where astatine’s electronic properties are discussed, they are generally theoretical or computational, rather than derived from laboratory XPS/UPS measurements.

Reference Datasets #

Coming soon

References #