{"682867":{"#nid":"682867","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Researchers Make an Elemental Discovery     ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA 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 other during extraction and purification processes.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe world has come to depend on lanthanides\u2019 magnetic and optical properties to drive much of modern technology \u2014 from medical imaging to missiles to smart phones. These metals also are in short supply, and because they\u2019re found in minerals, lanthanides are difficult to mine and separate. \u0026nbsp; But that may change \u2014 thanks to a Georgia Tech-led discovery of a new oxidation state for a lanthanide element known as praseodymium. \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EFor 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.)\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EAs far back as the 1890s, scientists suspected lanthanides might have a 5+ oxidation state, but \u0026nbsp;lanthanides in that state were too unstable to see, said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/henry-la-pierre\u0022\u003EHenry \u201dPete\u201c La Pierre\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E. Discovering an element\u2019s new oxidation state is like discovering a new element. As an example, La Pierre noted how plutonium\u2019s discovery opened up a whole new area of the periodic table.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cA new oxidation state tells us what we don\u2019t know and gives us ideas for where to go,\u201d he explained. \u201cEach oxidation state of an element has distinct chemical and physical properties \u2014 so the first glimpse of a novel oxidation presents a roadmap for new possibilities.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003ELa Pierre and colleagues at University of Iowa and Washington State University recently discovered the 5+ oxidation state for lanthanides.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u201cIt was predicted but never seen until we found it,\u201d said La Pierre, corresponding author of the study, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41557-025-01797-w\u0022\u003EPraseodymium in the Formal +5 Oxidation State\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d which was recently published in \u003Cem\u003ENature Chemistry\u003C\/em\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u201cLanthanides\u2019 properties are really fantastic. We only use them commercially in one oxidation state \u2014 the 3+ oxidation state \u2014 which defines a set of magnetic and optical properties. If you can stabilize a higher oxidation state, it could lead to entirely new magnetic and optical properties.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EThe researchers\u2019 breakthrough will broaden the lanthanides\u2019 technical applications in fields such as rare-earth mining and quantum technology and could lead to new electronic device architectures and applications.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cResearch in lanthanides has already yielded significant dividends for society in terms of technological development,\u201d La Pierre added.\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EThe researchers hope to discover new tools for mining critical REEs, including improving lanthanide separation and recycling processes. When mining these elements, lanthanide elements are frequently mixed together. The separation process is painstaking and inefficient, generating a significant amount of waste. But with increasing global demand for REEs, the U.S. faces a supply issue. Figuring out how to improve lanthanides separation, potentially through oxidation chemistry, will ultimately enhance the supply of these critical elements.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2014 Anne Wainscott-Sargent\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding: This research was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENew Oxidation State for a Rare Earth Element Could Advance Quantum and Electronic Devices\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New Oxidation State for a Rare Earth Element Could Advance Quantum and Electronic Devices "}],"uid":"28766","created_gmt":"2025-06-24 14:06:30","changed_gmt":"2025-12-04 21:26:28","author":"Shelley Wunder-Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677268":{"id":"677268","type":"image","title":"A diagram showing how the atoms are connected in the praseodymium compound (left); an image showing the most important electron interactions (right)","body":null,"created":"1750773245","gmt_created":"2025-06-24 13:54:05","changed":"1750773383","gmt_changed":"2025-06-24 13:56:23","alt":"A diagram showing how the atoms are connected in the praseodymium compound (left); a chart showing the most important electron interactions (right).","file":{"fid":"261151","name":"GT-Highlight-F1.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/24\/GT-Highlight-F1.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/24\/GT-Highlight-F1.png","mime":"image\/png","size":930594,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/24\/GT-Highlight-F1.png?itok=ty_Q_pKW"}}},"media_ids":["677268"],"groups":[{"id":"372221","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:swundersmith3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Research Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["swundersmith3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}