Knowra Cerium Cerium Cerium is a soft, silvery rare-earth metal with atomic number 58. Its readily accessible +3 and +4 oxidation states make it useful in alloys, catalysts, glass polishing, and lighter flints.
Cerium oxide : A cerium–oxygen compound, usually CeO₂, used in catalysts, glass polishing, and other applications. CeO₂ is the main abrasive in cerium-based glass polishing powders and a key catalytic material.
Cerium(III) : The +3 oxidation state of cerium, commonly found in cerium salts and compounds. Cerium readily forms this state, which underlies much of its solution chemistry.
Jöns Jacob Berzelius : A Swedish chemist who helped establish modern chemical symbols and investigated rare-earth compounds. Berzelius and Wilhelm Hisinger reported cerium in 1803.
Lanthanum : A soft, silvery rare-earth metal with atomic number 57. Lanthanum neighbors cerium but generally favors the +3 oxidation state.
Ferrocerium : A pyrophoric alloy, chiefly of cerium and iron, that produces sparks when scraped. Cerium-rich mischmetal is a principal ingredient in lighter flints and fire-starting rods.
Cerium(IV) : The +4 oxidation state of cerium, found in compounds such as cerium dioxide. Its ability to accept an electron makes Ce(IV) a strong oxidizing form of cerium.
Wilhelm Hisinger : A Swedish chemist and mineralogist who studied minerals and co-discovered cerium. Hisinger worked with Berzelius on the mineral analysis that revealed cerium.
Praseodymium : A silvery rare-earth metal with atomic number 59, used in alloys, magnets, and glass coloring. Praseodymium follows cerium in the series and does not share cerium’s comparably stable +4 chemistry.
Three-way catalytic converter : An exhaust-treatment device that reduces nitrogen oxides and oxidizes carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. Cerium oxide stores and releases oxygen, helping converters maintain effective reaction conditions.
Lanthanide contraction : The gradual decrease in atomic and ionic radii across the lanthanide series as nuclear charge increases. Cerium’s size and chemistry reflect its position near the beginning of this contraction.
Show all 21