ruthenium

American  

[roo-thee-nee-uhm, -theen-yuhm] / ruˈθi ni əm, -ˈθin jəm /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a steel-gray, rare metallic element, belonging to the platinum group of metals. Ru; 101.07; 44; 12.2 at 20°C.

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ruthenium British  

/ ruːˈθiːnɪəm /

noun

1. a hard brittle white element of the platinum metal group. It occurs free with other platinum metals in pentlandite and other ores and is used to harden platinum and palladium. Symbol: Ru; atomic no: 44; atomic wt: 101.07; valency: 0–8; relative density: 12.41; melting pt: 2334°C; boiling pt: 4150°C

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ruthenium Scientific  

/ ro̅o̅-thē′nē-əm /

1. A rare, silvery-gray metallic element that is hard, brittle, and very resistant to corrosion. It is used to harden alloys of platinum and palladium for jewelry and electrical contacts. Atomic number 44; atomic weight 101.07; melting point 2,310°C; boiling point 3,900°C; specific gravity 12.41; valence 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

2. See Periodic Table

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Etymology

Origin of ruthenium

1840–50; < New Latin, named after Ruthenia (from the fact that it was first found in ore from the region); see -ium

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ruthenium

Researchers ultimately reached a consensus that bulk ruthenium dioxide does not exhibit magnetism.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026

In particular, the electron structure of the ultrathin ruthenium dioxide had to experience lattice strain, which places pressure on the material's atomic structure.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026

By keeping the ruthenium atoms isolated, the design can deliver strong catalytic performance while requiring only very small amounts of metal, improving efficiency compared with conventional systems.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

During similar experiments involving ruthenium, however, the researchers found that the reactions unexpectedly produced standard 18 electron products instead.

From Science Daily ● May 22, 2026

The most recently discovered “platinum metal,” ruthenium, was recognized by C.E.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 1 "Châtelet" to "Chicago" by Various

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