Chemistry · Ch 2 — p-Block Elements-I
Group 14 (Carbon Group) Elements
Group 14 (Carbon Group) Elements
Group 14, the carbon group, consists of carbon, silicon, germanium, tin and lead. Carbon -- the lightest and only true non-metal of the group -- stands apart from every other group 14 element in its exceptional tendency toward catenation and its rich set of structurally distinct allotropes, while silicon anchors the family's other defining chemistry: the silicate and silicone materials that make up most of the earth's crust and a large share of modern polymer chemistry. …
Boron Neutron Capture Therapy
Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT). Boron's isotope ¹⁰B has a strong affinity for neutrons, and this is the basis of BNCT, a technique for treating patients with brain tumours. When boron-10 is irradiated with low-energy thermal neutrons, it undergoes a nuclear reaction that releases a high-linear-energy alpha particle together with a lithium particle.
In practice, boron-10-containing compounds are first injected into a patient with a brain tumour; these compounds collect preferentially in the tumour tissue. The tumour region is then irradiated with thermal neutrons -- each neutron captured by a ¹⁰B nucleus releases an alpha particle that damages the surrounding tissue right where it is released, so the damage is concentrated almost entirely within the tumour, sparing the normal brain tissue around it. BNCT has also been investigated as a treatment for tumours of the head and neck, breast, prostate, bladder and liver. …