Platinum

Platinum • Transition Metal

Primary XPS region: Pt4f
Overlapping regions: Al2p
Binding energies of common chemical states:

Chemical state	Binding energy Pt4f_7/2
Pt metal	71.0 eV
PtO	72.4 eV
PtO₂	74.9 eV

Interpretation of XPS spectra

Pt4f region has well separated spin-orbit components (Δ_metal=3.35eV).
- Peaks in the Pt4f region have an asymmetric peak shape for platinum metal.
- Platinum compounds, such as the oxide, have symmetric Pt4f peaks.

About this element

Symbol: Pt
Date of discovery: 1735
Name origin: Spanish platina
Appearance: silver
Discoverer: Julius Scaliger
Obtained from: platinum ores

Melting point: 2041 K
Boiling point: 4098 K
Density[kg/m³]: 21090
Molar volume: 9.09 × 10^-6 m³/mol
Protons/Electrons: 78
Neutrons: 117
Shell structure: 2,8,18,32,17,1
Electron configuration: [Xe]4f145d96s1
Oxidation state: 2,4
Crystal structure: cubic

Discovered by J. Scaliger in 1735, platinum is a beautiful, gray-white metal that is malleable in its pure form. It is extremely resistant to corrosion and tarnishing, and will not oxidize in air, even at high temperatures. Platinum is very rare, and is naturally found as the uncombined metal. Because of its extreme durability and resistance to tarnishing, platinum is widely used to make jewelry. It is also used to make surgical tools, liquid crystal displays, and electrical resistance wires. Platinum is named for the Spanish word “platina,” meaning “little silver.”