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in your element
The deeds to deuterium
Dan OLeary examines Harold Ureys decision to name the mass-2 hydrogen isotope deuterium.
Harold Urey discovered the Nobel-worthy mass-2 hydrogen isotope in 1931, and is generally credited with
naming it deuterium in June 1933 (ref.1). Correspondence2 between Urey and his collaborator Ferdinand Brick Brickwedde reveals, however, that as late as May in that year the team was still struggling to nd an acceptable name for the isotope.
On 9 May, Urey wrote to Brick to say that he was very much undecided as to what to call the hydrogen. Pycnydrogen, barhydrogen (H
) and barogen had all been suggested, but he was not enthusiasticabout any of them. Instead, Urey askedBrick what he thought about pycnogen as a suitable name for H2. Just over a week later, Brick responded to say that he preferred barhydrogen, but barogen and pycnogen were acceptable. He then muddied the water by also suggesting haplogen or haplohydrogen and diplogen or diplohydrogen.
Urey acknowledged Bricks letter on 23 May and wondered if protium and deutium might work. He revealed an ongoing correspondence with Gilbert N. Lewis, Ureys former doctoral advisor who had privately proposed the name dygen and with whom Urey had shared the names pycnogen and barogen. Urey shared the content of a telegram from Lewis:
please disregard suggestion in my letter no one likes...