#lanthanides

Scientists discover f-block metals yield new oxygen-binding chemistry

Iron and oxygen bind together throughout the body. Most famously, iron binds dioxygen, or two oxygens paired with each other, in hemoglobin that transports oxygen through blood. But iron-oxo compounds, as they're called, are found in many other places throughout the body. For example, the highly reactive iron-oxo is used in liver enzymes that metabolize drugs. Rice University chemist Raúl Hernández Sánchez was interested in how oxygen could react with other types of metals—ones that reside on the lowest section of the periodic table, known as f-block metals, with lanthanides on the upper row and actinides on the lower. If lanthanides could bind with oxygen, he theorized, it would form a highly reactive lanthanide-oxo compound that potentially could be used as a synthetic replacement for iron-oxo, opening up a new toolbox for small molecule chemists interested in studying these biological reactions.

does lanthanum canonically not like pickles? actually yeah I'll project that onto him i hate pickles

Usually, in fantasy or SciFi, peoples who live thousands of years look somewhere in their 40s. They reached that age and they stayed there for whatever the reason. Elves are never grumpy old ladies. Vampires are never sweet old men. They live long but they don't get old.

But Lanthanites do get old, as we see with Pelia. She has been looking like a menopausal human for over 200 years. We can assume then that Lanthanites grow up and mature much slower than Humans. They are the opposite of the Ocampa, who live for 9 years and are grown up and mature enough by the time they are 1 or 2.

She mentions that she is alone and we see her alone, there doesn't seem to be a Lanthanite community (even though they have a particular accent) so how are Lanthanite children raised? Are there children or only adults came to Earth and promised to not have children?

If they raised children and they take longer to grow up than human, I imagine they were either home schooled or constantly on the move to avoid people assuming they had a disabled child. "If he is 10, why does he still behave and look like a 1 year old?"

“Let’s fix our time together.”

Sm: Did u see my buddies?! Plz find out them with me!!

Lanthanides

Cerium:

I am shining in my brilliance, I repeat.  It took practice to find this confidence. I worry that if I expose myself it will unravel and that this glimmer will tarnish. I cannot take such a risk.

Holmium:

I maintain an inner strength that supports itself. A magnetic pull holding me together. No need to test my limits, I say, I will be fine here.

Terbium:

I can be malleable, I promise myself, willing to bend easily. I won’t draw attention to myself. Be wary, I hear a voice say, it is easier for the world to cut away at soft things.

Erbium:

As long as I remain hidden, I will remain solid. These thoughts used to be so reassuring. As long as I am okay with silence, I will be fine. But if I could trust myself, to trust my capabilities, I could be fluid. I could move.

Lanthanum:

Reaction without hesitation. A transition from who I was to who I can be.

The metals of my core are strong, but the potential in them is stronger still. Being burried doesn’t suit me anymore, I cannot wait. I will touch the air and shine.

Over a decade in the making: Lanthanide nanocrystals illuminate new possibilities

In a discovery shaped by more than a decade of steady, incremental effort rather than a dramatic breakthrough, scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and their collaborators demonstrated that great ideas flourish when paired with patience. Flashback to 2011: a small group of young researchers gathered around an aging optical bench at the NUS Department of Chemistry, watching a faint, flickering glow on a screen. Their goal seemed deceptively simple: make an insulating crystal emit light when electricity flowed through it. The challenge, however, was nearly impossible. Lanthanide nanocrystals, known for their chemical stability and pinpoint color purity, were insulators, notoriously resistant to electrical excitation.

Elemental discovery: Researchers find new oxidation state for rare earth element

A longstanding mystery of the periodic table involves a group of unique elements called lanthanides. Also known as rare earth elements, or REEs, these silvery-white metals are challenging to isolate, given their very similar chemical and physical properties. This similarity makes it difficult to distinguish REEs from one another during extraction and purification processes. The world has come to depend on lanthanides' magnetic and optical properties to drive much of modern technology—from medical imaging to missiles to smartphones. These metals are also in short supply, and because they're found in minerals, lanthanides are difficult to mine and separate. But that may change—thanks to a Georgia Tech-led discovery of a new oxidation state for a lanthanide element known as praseodymium. For the first time ever, praseodymium achieved a 5+ oxidation state. Oxidation occurs when a substance meets oxygen or another oxidizing substance. (The browning on the flesh of a cut apple, as well as rust on metal, are examples of oxidation.)