An illustration shows a variety of bacterial shapes in a petri dish consuming various lanthanide metals. Credit: Yang H. Ku/C&EN/Shutterstock You can smell the Solfatara volcanic crater long before ...

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 ...

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 ...

Researchers wanted to find out if it was possible to make a molecule that could selectively bind to metal cations in the middle of the lanthanide series. The team provided a proof-of-principle in a ...