zinc

Also known as Zn, element 30, 30Zn, Zn(ii), Zn2+

OverviewAI-generated

Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Its standard atomic weight is 65.38, while PubChem lists the weight as 65.4. The element has an electronegativity of 1.65 and a common oxidation state of 2. Its ionic radius is 0.90.

Physically, zinc melts at 419 degrees and boils at 907 degrees. The minimal lethal concentration is recorded as 450. In chemical notation, the canonical SMILES string is "[Zn]" and the Unicode character is "鋅". It has zero hydrogen bond donors and acceptors, with a topological polar surface area of 0.

Zinc is referenced in 210267 PubMed articles and is cited by 6,682 other encyclopedia articles. Its PubChem CID is 23994, and its InChIKey is HCHKCACWOHOZIP-UHFFFAOYSA-N.

Synthesized by Vinony from 26 facts across 4 sources: Wikidata, PubChem, PubMed, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Chemical data

Formula: Zn
Molecular weight: 65.4 g/mol
IUPAC name: zinc
SMILES: [Zn]
InChIKey: HCHKCACWOHOZIP-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Polar surface area: 0 Å²
H-bond donors: 0
H-bond acceptors: 0
Formal charge: 0

via PubChem

Research

210,267 papers

Role of zinc in health and disease.ReviewClinical and experimental medicine · 2024Stiles LI, Ferrao K, Mehta KJDOI: 10.1007/s10238-024-01302-6
Zinc as a Gatekeeper of Immune Function.ReviewNutrients · 2017Wessels I, Maywald M, Rink LDOI: 10.3390/nu9121286
Zinc ionophores: chemistry and biological applications.ReviewJournal of inorganic biochemistry · 2022Scavo S, Oliveri VDOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2021.111691
Zinc.ReviewJournal of toxicology. Clinical toxicology · 1999Barceloux DGDOI: 10.1081/clt-100102426
Zinc homeostasis and redox alterations in obesity.ReviewFrontiers in endocrinology · 2023Franco C, Canzoniero LMTDOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1273177
Zinc Fortification: Current Trends and Strategies.ReviewNutrients · 2022Hall AG, King JCDOI: 10.3390/nu14193895
Comparative Absorption and Bioavailability of Various Chemical Forms of Zinc in Humans: A Narrative Review.ReviewNutrients · 2024Devarshi PP, Mao Q, Grant RW et al.DOI: 10.3390/nu16244269
Zinc transporters as potential therapeutic targets: An updated review.ReviewJournal of pharmacological sciences · 2022Hara T, Yoshigai E, Ohashi T et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.jphs.2021.11.007

via PubMed

~58 min read

Encyclopedic overview

46 sections

Contents

Characteristics
Physical properties
Occurrence
Isotopes
Compounds and chemistry
Reactivity
Zinc(I) compounds
Zinc(II) compounds
Test for zinc
History
Ancient use
Early studies and naming
Isolation
Later work
Production
Mining and processing
Environmental impact
Applications
Anti-corrosion and batteries
Alloys
Other industrial uses
Organic chemistry
Dietary supplement
Gastroenteritis
Common cold{{anchor|Common cold}}
Weight gain
Other
Topical use
Biological role
Enzymes
Signalling
Other proteins
Nutrition
Dietary recommendations
Dietary intake
Deficiency
Soil remediation
Agriculture
Precautions
Toxicity
Poisoning
See also
Notes
References
Bibliography
External links

Zinc is a chemical element; it has symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny blue whitish appearance when surface oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodic table. Zinc is the 24th most abundant element in Earth's crust, with an average concentration of 70 grams per ton. Zinc also has five stable isotopes; the most abundant of which, Zn-64, comprises nearly half of zinc's total abundance. In some respects, zinc is chemically similar to magnesium: both elements exhibit only one normal oxidation state (+2), and the Zn2+ and Mg2+ ions are of similar size. The most common zinc ore is sphalerite (zinc blende), a zinc sulfide mineral. The largest concentration of economically feasible lodes in descending order are located in China, Peru, and Australia and among others. Zinc is refined industrially by froth flotation of the ore, roasting, and final extraction using electricity (electrowinning).

Zinc is an essential trace element for humans, animals, plants and for microorganisms and is necessary for both prenatal and postnatal development. It is the second most abundant trace metal in humans after iron, an important cofactor for many enzymes, and the only metal which appears in all enzyme classes. Zinc is also an essential nutrient element for coral growth.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “zinc” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.