Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 2 hrs ago
Molecular cages help researchers isolate terbium in an unusual state
University of Iowa chemists trapped terbium in molecular cages made from tungsten and oxygen.
Terbium usually stays in a +3 state, which makes it difficult to change its chemistry.
The team added a chemical oxidant that removed one electron and shifted terbium to +4.
Earlier work had produced +4 terbium only in tightly controlled, air-free conditions; this team isolated it under ordinary environmental conditions.
The result gives researchers a way to study terbium in a form that is less common and could help with the challenge of separating rare-earth metals.
Terbium is already used in display screens and lighting, and its unusual chemistry may be useful for quantum computing and advanced sensors.
Researchers led by the University of Iowa isolated terbium in the unusual plus-4 oxidation state using molecular cages.
The cages stabilized the metal under ambient conditions, without special controls for temperature, humidity or pressure.
The team used a tungsten-and-oxygen molecular assembly with ligands to hold terbium while changing its chemistry.
The method could support research into rare-earth separation and possible technologies such as quantum computing and advanced sensors.
- Who
- Researchers led by the University of Iowa, including Korey Carter and Pere Miro.
- What
- They used molecular cages to isolate terbium in the plus-4 oxidation state.
- When
- Not stated
- Where
- At the University of Iowa, under ambient conditions.
- Why
- To study an unusual state of terbium and explore approaches to rare-earth separation and potential technologies such as quantum computing and advanced sensors.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The team placed terbium in cage-like structures made from tungsten and oxygen, with binding agents called ligands.
The researchers added potassium persulfate, removing an electron and changing terbium to the plus-4 oxidation state.
The team isolated the terbium and described its unusual form.
- Research institution
- University of Iowa
- Researchers
- Korey Carter and Pere Miro
- Molecular cage materials
- Tungsten and oxygen, with ligands
- Oxidation state
- Plus-4
- Oxidant
- Potassium persulfate
- Conditions
- Ambient; no special controls for temperature, humidity or pressure
What people are saying
You can compel it to give away or accept an electron, but it’s generally energetically unfavorable.
But we devised a method to isolate, or separate terbium, by changing its oxidation state in an environment that doesn’t require specialized lab controls.
If you were in your house and you were setting up a chemistry experiment, it would be analogous to what we were doing in the lab.