PHD
  1. Inorganic chemistry  1.1. Coordination chemistry  1.1.1. Ligand field theory  1.1.2. Crystal field theory  1.1.3. Molecular Orbital Theory for Coordination Compounds  1.1.4. Stability of Coordination Compounds  1.1.5. Electronic spectra of coordination compounds  1.1.6. Isomerism in Coordination Compounds  1.1.7. Kinetics and mechanism of coordination reactions  1.2. Organometallic Chemistry  1.2.1. Metal Carbonyls  1.2.2. Metal alkyl and aryl  1.2.3. Fischer and Schrock carbonaceans  1.2.4. Oxidative Addition and Reductive Elimination  1.2.5. Metal Hydrides  1.2.6. Catalysis by organometallic compounds  1.2.7. Metallocenes and Sandwich Complexes  1.2.8. CH activation  1.3. Solid state chemistry  1.3.1. Crystal structures and lattices  1.3.2. Band theory and electrical properties  1.3.3. Defects in the crystal  1.3.4. Synthesis of solid state materials  1.3.5. Magnetic and optical properties of solids  1.3.6. Superconductivity  1.3.7. Solid state ionics  1.4. Bio-inorganic chemistry  1.4.1. Metalloproteins and enzymes  1.4.2. Metal ion transport and storage  1.4.3. The role of metals in medicine  1.4.4. Bioinspired catalysis  1.4.5. Metal–DNA interactions  1.4.6. Metal Complexes in Medical Science  1.5. Lanthanides and Actinides  1.5.1. Electronic configuration and oxidation states in lanthanides and actinides  1.5.2. Spectral and Magnetic Properties in Lanthanides and Actinides  1.5.3. Separation and Extraction of Lanthanides and Actinides  1.5.4. Coordination chemistry of f-block elements  1.6. Main Group Chemistry  1.6.1. Chemistry of boron compounds  1.6.2. Chemistry of Silicon and Germanium Compounds  1.6.3. Chemistry of Phosphorus and Sulfur Compounds  1.6.4. Organosilicon chemistry  1.6.5. Noble Gas Chemistry
  2. Organic chemistry  2.1. Reaction mechanism  2.1.1. Nucleophilic substitution reactions  2.1.2. Electrophilic addition and substitution reactions  2.1.3. Elimination reactions  2.1.4. Rearrangement reactions  2.1.5. Radical reactions  2.1.6. Pericyclic Reactions  2.1.7. Photochemical reactions  2.2. Stereoscopic  2.2.1. Chirality and optical activity  2.2.2. Structural analysis  2.2.3. Stereoelectronic effects  2.2.4. Asymmetric synthesis  2.2.5. Dynamic Stereochemistry  2.3. Organometallic Chemistry in Organic Synthesis  2.3.1. Organolithium and organomagnesium reagents  2.3.2. Transition metal catalyzed coupling reactions  2.3.3. Palladium-catalyzed reactions  2.3.4. Olefin Metathesis  2.3.5. Gold and silver catalysis  2.4. Natural products chemistry  2.4.1. Alkaloids and terpenoids  2.4.2. Steroids and Flavonoids  2.4.3. Total synthesis of natural products  2.4.4. Biosynthesis of natural products  2.5. Supramolecular Chemistry  2.5.1. Host-Guest Chemistry  2.5.2. Self-assembly and molecular recognition  2.5.3. Supramolecular Catalysis  2.5.4. Molecular Machines
  3. Physical Chemistry  3.1. Thermodynamics  3.1.1. Laws of Thermodynamics  3.1.2. Chemical Potential and Equilibrium  3.1.3. Statistical thermodynamics  3.1.4. Non-equilibrium thermodynamics  3.2. Quantum Chemistry  3.2.1. Schrödinger equation and its applications  3.2.2. Molecular orbital theory  3.2.3. Density functional theory  3.2.4. Post-Hartree–Fock methods  3.3. Chemical kinetics  3.3.1. Reaction rate theory  3.3.2. Mechanism and rate laws  3.3.3. Catalysis and enzyme kinetics  3.3.4. Reaction dynamics  3.4. Spectroscopy and molecular structure  3.4.1. Infrared Spectroscopy  3.4.2. UV-visible spectroscopy  3.4.3. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy  3.4.4. Mass Spectrometry  3.4.5. Raman Spectroscopy  3.5. Surface and Colloid Chemistry  3.5.1. Absorption and Catalysis  3.5.2. Surfactants and micelles  3.5.3. Colloidal Stability  3.5.4. Nanomaterials and Interfaces
  4. Analytical chemistry  4.1. Chromatography  4.1.1. Gas Chromatography  4.1.2. High Performance Liquid Chromatography  4.1.3. Thin Layer Chromatography  4.1.4. Ion Chromatography  4.2. Electroanalytical techniques  4.2.1. Voltammetry and Polarography  4.2.2. Conductometry and potentiometry  4.2.3. Colometry  4.3. Spectroscopic Methods  4.3.1. Atomic absorption spectroscopy  4.3.2. Fluorescence Spectroscopy  4.3.3. X-ray diffraction  4.3.4. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy  4.4. Chemometrics  4.4.1. Data processing and statistical methods  4.4.2. Multidisciplinary analysis  4.4.3. Machine Learning in Analytical Chemistry
  5. Theoretical and Computational Chemistry  5.1. Molecular dynamics simulation  5.2. Quantum chemistry methods  5.3. Computational drug design  5.4. Machine Learning in Chemistry  5.5. Ab initio molecular dynamics
  6. Biophysics and Medicinal Chemistry  6.1. Drug discovery and design  6.2. Enzyme kinetics and inhibition  6.3. Chemical biology approach  6.4. Protein-ligand interactions  6.5. Bioorthogonal chemistry
  7. Materials chemistry  7.1. Polymer chemistry  7.1.1. Polymerization mechanism  7.1.2. Functional Polymers  7.1.3. Biodegradable Polymer  7.1.4. Conducting and semiconducting polymers  7.2. Nano Chemistry  7.2.1. Nanoparticles and nanostructures  7.2.2. Carbon-based nanomaterials  7.2.3. Quantum dots  7.3. Energy and Environmental Chemistry  7.3.1. Battery and Fuel Cell Chemistry  7.3.2. Green chemistry and sustainable materials  7.3.3. Photocatalysis

PHD → Inorganic chemistry ↓


Lanthanides and Actinides


The lanthanides and actinides are two series of elements that are important in the field of inorganic chemistry. These elements, often collectively referred to as the "f-block" elements, are important for a variety of applications ranging from fundamental scientific research to practical industrial uses. The lanthanides series includes 15 elements, spanning from atomic numbers 57 to 71, starting with Lanthanum (La) and going up to Lutetium (Lu). The actinides also include 15 elements, spanning from atomic numbers 89 to 103, starting with Actinium (Ac) and going up to Lawrencium (Lr).

Overview of the lanthanides

The lanthanides, also known as rare earth elements, derive their name from the first element of the series, lanthanum. These elements are known for their unique electronic configurations, typically characterized by the filling of 4f orbitals. The lanthanides are known for their high magnetic susceptibility and are often used in permanent magnets and phosphors.

4f block

Electronic configuration

The electronic configuration for the lanthanides can be generalized as follows:

[Xe] 4f n 6s 2

Here, n ranges from 0 to 14 for each subsequent element starting with lanthanum. The increasing and specific filling of the 4f orbitals gives the lanthanides their distinctive properties.

Chemical properties

Lanthanides are usually characterized by their reactivity with elements such as oxygen, halogens, and acids. They usually form trivalent ions, which are the result of the removal of three electrons:

Ln → Ln 3+ + 3e -

One of the notable features of the lanthanide elements is that their chemical properties are very similar throughout the series, which often makes it difficult to separate them from one another using standard chemical methods.

Application

Lanthanides are used in many industries due to their unique properties. For example, Neodymium is essential in the production of strong permanent magnets, and Europium is important in phosphorescent materials used in television screens and LED lights. Other lanthanides are also found in applications such as catalysts in petroleum refining and glass polishing.

Overview of actinides

The actinide series is named after its first element actinium. These elements are particularly known for their radioactive properties and find important applications in nuclear technology. Unlike the lanthanides, actinides involve the filling of 5f orbitals.

5f block

Electronic configuration

The standard electron configuration for the actinides can be generalized as follows:

[rn] 5fn 6d 0–1 7s 2

Similar to the lanthanides, the actinides also have variable oxidation states, although they predominantly exhibit the +3 oxidation state.

Chemical properties

The actinides are predominantly metals, exhibit a wide range of oxidation states, and are densely packed atoms. This gives them properties somewhat similar to those of the transition metals. Their ability to form complexes of high coordination numbers and their inherent radioactivity make them attractive subjects of study in inorganic chemistry.

Application

Perhaps the most widespread use of actinides is found in the field of nuclear energy and weapons. Uranium and Plutonium are important elements used as fuel in nuclear reactors. In addition, Thorium is also being explored as a possible alternative nuclear fuel due to its relative abundance and safety characteristics compared to uranium.

Americium, another actinide, is used in smoke detectors due to its alpha-emitting ability, providing an essential safety feature in many homes.

Comparative aspects of lanthanides and actinides

While both lanthanides and actinides occur in the f-block and exhibit similarities in electronic configuration and behaviour, they differ considerably in other particular aspects.

Similarities

  • Both series contain f-orbitals, which contribute to their complex electronic structures.
  • They generally exhibit high reactivity, especially towards nonmetals such as oxygen and the halogens.
  • Due to lanthanide and actinide contraction phenomena their ionic radii are same in each series.

Contraindications

  • The lanthanides are mostly non-radioactive, while the actinides are mostly radioactive.
  • The actinides exhibit a wider range of oxidation states than the predominantly +3 state found in the lanthanides.
  • The chemical bonding and coordination chemistry of the actinides is more complex due to the involvement of the 5f orbitals.

Conclusion

The lanthanides and actinides are a part of the periodic table that is rich with complex chemistry and important real-world applications. From their electronic configurations to their respective roles in advancing technology, they are essential parts of inorganic chemistry. Their ability to form diverse compounds makes them fascinating for a variety of fields of study, which promise to maintain relevance for years to come.


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Lanthanides and Actinides

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