Search Results (1,008)

The structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of the PdRSb, usually also referred to as RPdSb, ($R=$ La-Lu) semi-Heusler compound series have been systematically investigated using first-principles calculations based on Density Functional Theory (DFT). Our structural optimizations reveal that the cubic $C{1}_{\mathrm{b}}$ A-type variant is the energetically most favorable and thermodynamically stable ground state across the entire series. The calculated equilibrium lattice constants follow the well-known lanthanide contraction trend, with the exception of the Yb-based compound, which displays an anomalous lattice expansion. Magnetic stability analysis demonstrates that the magnetism is highly localized at the rare-earth (R) sites and closely follows the progressive filling of the $4f$ shell, peaking at $7{\mathsf{\mu }}_{\mathrm{B}}$ for PdGdSb, while PdLaSb, PdYbSb, and PdLuSb remain non-magnetic. Furthermore, our electronic structure calculations reveal a rich variety of behaviors: PdLaSb and PdLuSb behave as gapless semiconductors, while most of the magnetic compounds exhibit near half-metallic characteristics. Notably, PdCeSb is predicted to be a perfect half-metal with an integer magnetic moment of $1{\mathsf{\mu }}_{\mathrm{B}}$. These findings highlight the significant chemical tunability of the PdRSb family, positioning them as promising candidates for future applications in spintronics and magnetoelectronics. Full article

The development of highly sensitive luminescence sensing materials has attracted much attention in recent years. In this study, a new two-dimensional porous europium metal–organic framework (EuMOF, [Eu(DHDA)₁.₅·3H₂O]_n; DHDA = 2,2-dihydroxyacetic acid) is obtained, characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), luminescence, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). At the best excitation at 295 nm, EuMOF shows red luminescence (CIE: 0.6255, 0.3740) and has four obvious peaks at 582, 605, 641, and 689 nm, which are due to ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₁, ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₂, ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₃, and ⁵D₀ → ⁷F₄ transitions, respectively. Studies have shown that EuMOF is a stable, fast-responding, and highly sensitive luminescence sensor for isoprocarb and levofloxacin (Lvx) in aqueous solutions, apple peel and rice extract solutions, and real urine, which are closely associated with food safety and human health. The sensing behavior toward isoprocarb and Lvx may be attributed to the specific binding of the two analytes to EuMOF. The sensing of isoprocarb is a dynamic luminescence-quenching process, while that of Lvx is a dynamic luminescence-enhancing process. The limits of detection (LOD) for isoprocarb and Lvx are as low as 1.0 and 0.5 nM, respectively, which are much lower than the Chinese national standard (GB 28260-2011, 2.583 μM). EuMOF also demonstrates strong anti-interference detection of isoprocarb in apple peel and rice extract solutions, as well as Lvx in real urine, with excellent detection stability in a 0.01~9.0 nM range. The recovery rates for isoprocarb and Lvx in real samples are 99.12%~101.25%. This work provides the first bifunctional lanthanide sensor for pesticides and antibiotics. Full article

For the first time in this study, the ability for methylotrophic growth on methanol was demonstrated in representatives of the genus Sphaerotilus. The analysis of 20 genomes and the physiological verification of genomic predictions regarding C1 compound metabolism were carried out using Sphaerotilus montanus HS^T, Sphaerotilus hippei DSM 566^T, and Sphaerotilus sulfidivorans D-501^T as model strains. Genes involved in the direct oxidation of methanol to carbon dioxide were identified, including the lanthanide-dependent methanol dehydrogenase XoxF, the NAD-dependent methanol dehydrogenase Mdh2, genes of the tetrahydromethanopterin (H₄MPT) and tetrahydrofolate (H₄F) pathways, and the NAD-dependent formate dehydrogenase. In addition, a number of genes associated with C1 assimilation were identified, including genes of the Calvin–Benson–Bassham cycle and the incomplete serine cycle. Experimental data suggest that the bacteria are capable of using two strategies of methylotrophic growth: methanol oxidation via the lanthanide-dependent methanol dehydrogenase XoxF and the H₄MPT pathway, as well as oxidation via the NAD-dependent methanol dehydrogenase Mdh2 and the H₄F pathway. Both strategies provide CO₂ assimilation via the Calvin–Benson–Bassham, but additionally the second strategy demonstrates additional involvement of the incomplete serine cycle in the process of the C1 compounds. A hypothetical model of C1 compound assimilation in representatives of the genus Sphaerotilus was constructed. Full article

Recombination processes heavily influence the ionization balance and level populations of Non-Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (Non-LTE) plasmas. This is especially relevant for kilonovae, whose ejecta rapidly evolves into a Non-LTE regime. Collisional-radiative models become necessary, but are limited by the scarcity of data for heavy r-process elements. In this work, we present radiative recombination (RR) rate coefficients for Pm-like tungsten (W XIV) using the Flexible Atomic Code (FAC). W XIV makes a reliable benchmark for two primary reasons: tungsten is one of the heavy elements best characterized across its ionization sequence, providing a wealth of available data for comparison, and this charge state shares the complicated open f-shell structure of key r-process elements, consequently presenting similar challenges that emerge when executing this type of calculation. Validating our approach here provides the foundation for extending this methodology to the lanthanide sequence. The calculations performed in this work show good agreement with previous relevant works. Additionally, an RR calculation with a set of configurations that captured the low-lying energy structure of the recombined ion was performed. The results remain within the same order of magnitude as the standard method across the 10 3 to 10 9 K temperature range. Full article

The growing field of nanobiotechnology could provide an alternative platform for the development of new therapeutic agents. A potential means for achieving these goals are nanoparticles of rare-earth metals, for example, nanoceria. According to the results of numerous in vitro and in vivo studies, not only oxide forms of lanthanides can demonstrate a pharmacological effect. A promising nano-object for biomedical application is cerium phosphate, which exhibits both properties characteristic of cerium dioxide and its own unique properties, due to the diversity of morphology. However, at present, a unified methodological approach has not been formulated that would make it possible to formulate principles for obtaining a compound with specified properties. This review was conducted on using the international databases PubMed, PubChem, Scopus and Google Scholar, and included original studies and reviews. The literature describes the preparation of cerium phosphate nanoparticles by the hydrothermal, chemical precipitation, microwave, and sol–gel methods. It was established that reaction temperature, pH value of the medium, use of organic solvents, ratio of reagents, and precursors have a direct influence on the size, shape, and structure of the obtained nano-object, making it possible to synthesize nanospheres, nanorods, and nanoneedles by regulating these parameters. In addition, the strategy of obtaining nano-objects with specified properties can be implemented by using excipients of predominantly polymer nature. The use of auxiliary substances is capable both of exerting a stabilizing effect and improving adherence to the nanoscale range, and of influencing pharmacological activity. The literature describes the possibility of using cerium phosphate as a redox-active, regenerative, antibacterial, sunscreen, and antitumor agent. However, the insufficient amount of data on the toxicological profile, as well as the results of in vivo studies, remains a significant limitation for the introduction of cerium phosphate into clinical practice. Thus, the purpose of the present review is to identify patterns that make it possible to formulate recommendations for the synthesis of cerium phosphate with specified properties, to assess factors affecting its suitability for use in biomedicine, and to consider its prospects and limitations. Full article

Automated analysis of peripheral nerve ultrastructure is bottlenecked by heterogeneous electron microscopy (EM) datasets, where varying staining protocols and resolutions create domain shifts that confound deep learning. To address this, we developed a generalized segmentation pipeline. Using a custom pre-processing workflow (CLAHE and noise suppression) integrated into ZEISS Arivis Pro, we standardized inputs across three disparate domains: traditional osmium-based Palade, lanthanide-based “green” Uranyl-free method, and low-resolution Ellisman preparations. A U-Net trained on a highly constrained 15-image composite dataset achieved peak internal Intersection over Union (IoU) scores >0.95 for myelin and Schwann cells. Crucially, during open-world, zero-shot inference on an expanded independent testing cohort (N = 40), the model sustained robust Dice Similarity Coefficients of 0.854 for myelin and 0.597 for mitochondria. This demonstrates that integrating classical image standardization with deep learning effectively mitigates EM domain gaps, enabling comprehensive 3D multi-organelle reconstructions from challenging data. To ensure transparency and community utility, the pre-trained models and standardization scripts are provided in a public, open-access repository. Ultimately, this pipeline supports the transition to sustainable, non-toxic EM protocols and provides a robust pathway for unlocking historical clinical archives for automated organellomics. Full article

The connection of a dianionic 2,2’-biimidazolate (biim²⁻) bridging unit to cis-[Cr(N^∩N)₂]³⁺ (N^∩N is a chelating didentate ligand) or cis-[Cr(N^∩N^∩N^∩N)]³⁺ building blocks (N^∩N^∩N^∩N is a chelating tetradentate ligand) produces heteroleptic pseudo-octahedral [CrN₆]⁺ chromophores. Their reduced cationic charge is compatible with the subsequent complexation of trivalent lanthanides (Ln³⁺) to give d-f {[(N^∩N)₂Cr(biim)]_nLn}⁽³⁺ⁿ⁾⁺ (n = 1–4), {[(N^∩N)₂Cr(biim)]Ln(Tp)₂}²⁺ and {[(N^∩N^∩N^∩N)Cr(biim)]Ln(Tp)₂}²⁺ adducts (Tp is tri(1H-pyrazol-1-yl)-λ⁴-borate). Moving from polyaromatic N^∩N (1,10 phenanthroline) to saturated N^∩N^∩N^∩N polyamine (cyclam) receptors controls the photophysical properties and leads to tunable light conversion in the target heterometallic complexes when Eu(III) is exploited as the activator for downshifting and Er(III) as the activator for upconversion. Full article

Temperature is a physical quantity that represents the degree of heat or cold of an object and has significant application value across various fields. Traditional contact temperature measurement technologies, such as thermocouples and infrared thermometers, suffer from limitations like poor environmental adaptability and low spatial resolution, which makes it difficult to meet the temperature measurement requirements for micro-/nano-devices and extreme environments. In recent years, non-contact optical temperature measurement technology based on the luminescence characteristics of rare earth ions has garnered widespread attention due to its high sensitivity, strong interference resistance, and good environmental adaptability. In addition to inorganic luminescent materials, lanthanide-based molecular and coordination-complex thermometers have also become an important branch of this field; however, this paper focuses on inorganic rare earth luminescence thermometry. This paper provides a systematic review of the mechanisms of temperature measurement using rare earth ion luminescence, including single-energy-level luminescence intensity measurement and luminescence intensity ratio measurement based on thermally coupled levels (TCLs) and non-thermally coupled levels (NTCLs). It analyzes the principles of various technologies, performance parameters (such as absolute sensitivity S_a, relative sensitivity S_r, and temperature resolution δT), and their application progress in fields such as biomedical imaging, high-temperature aerospace environments, and the integration of micro-/nano-devices. Special attention is paid to emerging research directions, including Stark sublevel engineering for enhanced sensitivity, negative thermal expansion (NTE) host design for anti-thermal quenching, multi-modal collaborative thermometry, and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted material design and data processing. The article also discusses the challenges currently faced by the technology, such as high-temperature fluorescence quenching and signal interference, and looks forward to future development directions, including artificial intelligence-assisted material design and multi-modal cooperative temperature measurement, aiming to provide a reference for the research and application of rare earth luminescence temperature sensing technology. Full article

This work reports a novel dithiophosphinic acid extractant, bis(isobutylphenyl)dithiophosphinic acid (HL), for the mutual separation of Am(III) and Cm(III) and for the separation of trivalent actinides (An(III)) from lanthanides (Ln(III)). The compound was successfully synthesized and structurally confirmed by ¹H and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy. Focusing specifically on Am(III) and Cm(III), the extraction behavior was systematically investigated as a function of pH, ligand concentration, nitrate concentration, and temperature. Compared with the conventional extractant, bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)dithiophosphinic acid (HL₃₀₁), HL exhibits stronger extraction efficiency (pH_1/2 = 3.39 for Am(III) and 3.64 for Cm(III)) and a notably improved separation factor for Am(III) over Cm(III) (SF_{Am(III)/Cm(III)} = 4.8), while retaining excellent separation ability for An(III) from Ln(III). The extraction proceeds via a cation-exchange mechanism, yielding a 1:3 metal-extractant complex with the release of three protons. Increasing nitrate concentration suppresses extraction due to the competition for metal ion between NO₃⁻ in the aqueous phase and the extractant. The extraction reaction is endothermic with negative entropy changes, exhibiting ΔH° values of 24.06 kJ·mol⁻¹ for Am(III) and 27.12 kJ·mol⁻¹ for Cm(III) at 298.15 K, along with ΔS° values of −90.63 J·mol⁻¹·K⁻¹ and −89.11 J·mol⁻¹·K⁻¹, respectively. This work offers a promising extractant for the separation of Am(III) from Cm(III) and An(III) from Ln(III), and mechanistic insights into coordination–selectivity relationships involving soft sulfur donors. Full article

This article reviews the state of the art of laser ablation and deposition techniques applied so far to more than 50 elements, including metals, metalloids and lanthanides, yielding a wide variety of compounds in the form of thin films. Laser deposition processes have been performed in high-vacuum (HV) reactors at pressure values ranging between 10⁻¹ and 10⁻⁵ Pa, namely pulsed laser deposition (PLD), or, under different reactive gas ambient (O₂, N₂, CH₄, NH₃ and many others), so-called reactive pulsed laser deposition (RPLD), with the aim to form thin films with desirable chemical compositions. While a few metals have not been deposited as pure metallic films because they have no immediate technological interest, others, like alkali and alkaline earth metals, cannot be deposited in pure metallic form due to their very strong reactivity with oxygen, water vapor and hydrogen molecules which are always present, even in ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) systems, at pressure values of 10⁻⁵–10⁻¹⁰ Pa. Furthermore, elements of the Mendeleev periodic table with an atomic number higher than 88, such as actinides and synthetic elements, are dangerous to handle and deposit in the form of thin films due to their high radioactivity; therefore, they are excluded from this review. The inclusion of the non-metal thin films of carbon (C) and related chemical compounds prepared by PLD and RPLD in the present review is justified by the extensive research and the numerous scientific articles reported in the field. All the results obtained by PLD and RPLD techniques so far are discussed and presented in tabular format to guide the reader. Full article

Nanoplatforms combining multiple imaging contrast modalities are gaining interest across life sciences and beyond. Here, we disclose a proof-of-concept series of harmonic nanoparticles (HNPs) conjugated with a variety of lanthanide (Ln) complexes, enabling tunable imaging properties. Building on our previous approach for the conjugation of Gd(III) complexes at the surface of HNPs through copper-catalyzed click chemistry, we first establish a copper-free alternative by benchmarking the signals of the resulting conjugates in magnetic resonance imaging phantoms. We then extend this system to Eu, Tb and Yb conjugates and investigate their photophysical properties, successfully detecting long-lived Ln emissions spanning the visible and near-infrared spectrum. Interestingly, the Ln ion can be efficiently removed and exchanged, allowing reuse of the same HNP with a new optical signature. Most notably, we demonstrate that the Eu luminescence can be indirectly activated via second-harmonic generation from the HNP core upon femtosecond-pulsed irradiation in parallel to direct two-photon excitation. This nonlinear activation scheme paves the way for the preparation of mixtures with multidimensional optical signatures using a single excitation source. Altogether this work provides a versatile framework to further explore HNP-Ln conjugates as multimodal imaging probes. Full article

We performed a theoretical analysis (the PBE-D2/DNP level of the density functional theory with the use of the DSPP pseudopotentials) of the geometries, bonding and frontier orbital energies, spin and charge distribution for the entire series (from La to Lu) of lanthanide atoms interacting with I_h−C₈₀ cage, for both η⁵ and η⁶ exohedral coordination patterns. In certain regards, the exohedral η⁵ and η⁶ coordination of Ln atoms to the C₈₀ fullerene cage exhibits similar qualitative and semi-quantitative trends (the bonding strength, shortest Ln^…C distances, charge and spin of lanthanide atoms). The most interesting aspect is the molecular spin of the complexes, where we observed different patterns of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic coupling. Three complexes represent an extreme, when the antiferromagnetic coupling results in zero or close-to-zero molecular spin. In some cases, the molecular spin is a simple sum of 2 e of the isolated C₈₀ cage and the spin of an isolated Ln atom. However, the most common situation is when another 2 e spin adds: it is best illustrated with Eu (spin of 7 e for the atomic ground state), where the molecular spin of its η⁵ and η⁶ complexes is not about 9 e but reaches almost 11 e. Full article

This study reports the synthesis, characterization, DFT calculations and in vitro antimicrobial, cytotoxic and antiproliferative evaluation of La(III), Eu(III), and Gd(III) metal complexes with ampicillin. The compounds were characterized by Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), elemental analysis, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–Vis), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR), indicating a 2:1 metal-to-ligand ratio with ampicillin, and likely, a coordination through carbonyl, carboxylic and β-lactam groups, with the general formula [Ln₂(L)(Cl)₅(H₂O)_x] (Ln = La(III), Eu (III), Gd (III), and x = 2 for La(III), 5 for Eu(III) and Gd(III), L-ampicillin anion). Antimicrobial studies showed activity against ampicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 15.6 µg·mL⁻¹) but no activity against Escherichia coli. In cytotoxicity studies, all complexes inhibited B16-F10 (murine melanoma) proliferation, with GI₅₀ values around 140 µg·mL⁻¹. Against U251 (glioma) cell line, only [Eu₂(L)(Cl)₅(H₂O)₅] exhibited cytotoxicity activity, GI₅₀ = 104 µg·mL⁻¹, and notably, [Eu₂(L)(Cl)₅(H₂O)₅] was active against MCF7 (breast carcinoma) with a GI₅₀ = 8.1 µg·mL⁻¹. However, all complexes exhibited high cytotoxicity in NIH-3T3 cells (GI₅₀ = 0.030–2.90 µg·mL⁻¹), indicating limited selectivity between normal and cancer cells. Nevertheless, except for the La complex, most compounds were less cytotoxic than doxorubicin, highlighting the need for further optimization to improve selectivity. Full article

With the detection of kilonova AT2017gfo, (binary) neutron star mergers emerged as possible astrophysical sites for heavy element nucleosynthesis via r-process. To verify this claim, it is key to identify elements such as lanthanides and actinides in kilonovae spectra. Theoretical calculations arise as a solution to fill the scarcity of experimental atomic data to perform this identification. This work presents theoretical calculations with the AUTOSTRUCTURE atomic code for Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu singly and doubly ionised, and benchmarks them against experimental data. The similarity between these theoretical calculations and experimental data was quantified via a mean absolute relative error (MARE), which showed that the calculations yield an average MARE of 58.7% and 56.7% for the singly and doubly ionised species, respectively. Full article

Rare-earth elements including the fifteen lanthanides, from lanthanum (La) to lutetium (Lu), together with scandium (Sc) and yttrium (Y), can act either as matrix cations or as active luminescent centers when incorporated into host lattices. Owing to their relatively large ionic radii, high coordination numbers, and structural stability, ions such as La, Lu, Sc, Y, and gadolinium (Gd) typically serve as matrix cations in rare-earth vanadate (REVO₄)-based phosphors, while other trivalent lanthanide (Ln³⁺) ions act as active luminescent centers. These REVO₄ phosphors have proved to be good host lattices for optically active Ln³⁺ ions giving strong luminescence assigned to absorption of the vanadate (VO₄³⁻) groups, and the efficient energy transfer between host lattice and Ln³⁺ ions. The unique electronic configuration of Ln³⁺ ions, particularly their unpaired 4f electrons, makes them ideal for applications in luminescence, magnetism, electronic and magnetic relaxation, and catalysis. Due to their complementary luminescent characteristics, Ln³⁺-doped REVO₄ phosphors have attracted significant attention in recent years. Their unique optical properties make them highly valuable across a broad spectrum of applications. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the state of the art in Ln³⁺ (Eu³⁺, Sm³⁺, Tm³⁺, Er³⁺, Ho³⁺, Tb³⁺, Nd³⁺, and Yb³⁺)-doped REVO₄ (RE = Y, Gd, Lu, La) phosphors. It examines current synthesis approaches, alongside the development of advanced strategies, and explores structural characteristics, innovative designs, and luminescent behavior, including both downconversion and upconversion processes and sensing applications, of the Ln³⁺-doped REVO₄ phosphors. Full article