The lanthanide (4f) and actinide (5f) elements (collectively the “f-block”) comprise around a quarter of the periodic table, and many are essential to key aspects of modern life and society. These ...

In their momentary life span, atoms of lawrencium, element 103, may have left a lasting impression on the structure of the periodic table. For the first time, researchers have measured a basic ...

One of the greatest challenges facing the future of clean nuclear energy is scientists’ ability to recover heavy metals from nuclear waste, such as lanthanides and actinides. A new computational tool ...

Polly Arnold is drawn to challenging problems at the far reaches of the periodic table. “It’s all about the f block,” she says of the work in her group, which is split between the University of ...