Bruce Ravel is shown at the Beamline for Materials Measurement. Despite its rarity, promethium has a few interesting applications, including manufacturing specialized glow-in-the-dark paint, radiation ...

Conceptual art shows the rare earth element promethium in a vial surrounded by an organic ligand. ORNL scientists have discovered hidden features of promethium, opening a pathway for research into ...

What do magnets, smartphones and medical imaging devices have in common? They all depend on rare earth elements called lanthanides, which are vital for modern technology. Yet, separating these ...

Lanthanides are an essential part of modern life, used in permanent magnets, electronics, and catalysts. But these 15 rare earth elements are chemically very similar, making them difficult to separate ...

The lanthanide elements’ 4f electron orbitals are notoriously shy and retiring, and they were long thought to be unwilling partners in chemical bonding. Now chemists have brought out a surprising ...

Lanthanides are rare-earth heavy metals with useful magnetic properties and a knack for emitting light. Researchers had long assumed that lanthanides' toxicity risk was low and therefore safe to ...

Notably, the team provided the first demonstration of a feature of lanthanide contraction in solution for the whole lanthanide series, including promethium, atomic number 61. Lanthanide contraction is ...