For centuries, the idea of creating gold, element 79, from common substances captivated thinkers, giving rise to alchemy. Alchemists sought a mythical “philosopher’s stone” to turn base metals into this highly valued element. Modern science has proven that the transmutation of elements is possible through nuclear physics, though not as a commercial process. Gold’s identity is defined by the 79 protons in its atomic nucleus, and changing the number of protons in another element’s nucleus is the only way to create it in a laboratory. This feat requires immense energy and specialized equipment, making the process a scientific curiosity rather than a source of bullion.
Defining Synthetic Gold
Synthetic gold is chemically and physically identical to natural gold because it possesses 79 protons in its nucleus. It is important to distinguish this from materials marketed as “lab-grown” or “synthetic,” which are actually gold imitations or alloys. Imitation gold includes substances like pyrite (fool’s gold) or alloys of copper and zinc, which are chemically distinct from the pure element. True synthetic gold, created atom by atom from different elements, is pure gold. Since an element’s chemical properties are determined solely by its number of protons, laboratory-created gold is indistinguishable from gold mined from the earth.
Achieving Gold Through Nuclear Transmutation
Creating gold relies on nuclear transmutation, which fundamentally changes the number of protons in an atom’s nucleus. This is a nuclear reaction, not a chemical one, requiring overcoming the strong nuclear force that binds the nucleus together. Scientists utilize powerful tools, such as nuclear reactors or particle accelerators, to achieve the energy needed for this transformation.
One approach involves starting with elements that have more than 79 protons and removing the excess. Mercury (element 80) has just one more proton than gold, making it a target for the earliest successful transmutation experiments. In 1941, scientists transmuted mercury into gold by bombarding it with high-energy neutrons, changing the nucleus of the mercury atoms.
A widely demonstrated method uses high-energy particle accelerators, such as those at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory or CERN. In the 1980s, researchers transmuted Bismuth (element 83) into gold by firing beams of carbon nuclei at bismuth foil. This bombardment stripped away enough protons and neutrons from the bismuth atoms to leave behind a small quantity of gold atoms.
Another strategy involves starting with elements lighter than gold and adding protons. Platinum (element 78) is a candidate, needing only one additional proton to become gold. This is often accomplished by bombarding the target element with high-speed particles to force a fusion or capture event within the nucleus. Whether removing or adding protons, the process must overcome the repulsion forces between the positively charged atomic nuclei, demanding colossal energy inputs.
The Economic and Physical Limitations
While creating gold in a laboratory is possible, the process is not commercially viable due to economic and physical constraints. The energy required to initiate and sustain nuclear transmutation is astronomical, demanding the use of multi-million dollar facilities like particle accelerators. The yield from these experiments is minuscule, often producing only picograms—a fraction of a nanogram—of gold.
In the 1980s, a researcher estimated that the energy costs alone would exceed one quadrillion dollars to produce a single ounce of gold. This cost is drastically higher than the market price of mined gold, rendering the synthetic creation of the element purely an academic exercise. The massive energy consumption and specialized infrastructure make large-scale production impractical.
Furthermore, the gold isotopes created through transmutation are often unstable, introducing a physical limitation. Some nuclear reactions produce gold-195 or other radioactive isotopes with short half-lives. While the only stable isotope of gold is gold-197, the synthetic process frequently results in a radioactive product that quickly decays into other elements. This instability means the resulting gold would be unsuitable for use in jewelry, electronics, or as a long-term investment asset.