Similarity and Versatility of Lanthanides

Abstract

Since lanthanides were discovered in the 18th century, they fascinate scientists due to their similarity in chemical behavior and versatility in physical properties. It is thus not surprising, that lanthanides are part of uncountable applications in modern industry, electronics, magnets, light sources and medical applications. Especially, as the lanthanide elements are not naturally occurring in living organisms, it is essential that the molecular dynamics and chemical as well as physical properties are understood in detail for in vivo applications. In this thesis, different lanthanide-containing compounds and nanoparticles were investigated to gain deeper knowledge of fundamental processes governing physical properties and synthetic procedures.