Quick Facts
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Lu |
| Atomic Number | 71 |
| Atomic Mass | 174.97 u |
| Category | Lanthanide |
| Period | 6 |
| Group | 3 |
| Block | d |
| Electron Configuration | [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹ 6s² |
History and Discovery
Discovered by: Georges Urbain and Carl Auer von Welsbach Year of Discovery: 1907 Location: Paris, France and Vienna, Austria
Etymology
Named after Lutetia, the Latin name for Paris.
Applications and Uses
- PET scan imaging (lutetium-177)
- Cancer treatment (targeted radiotherapy)
- LED phosphors
- High-refractive-index glass
- Catalysts
- Dating meteorites (Lu-Hf dating)
Interesting Facts
- Last and smallest of the lanthanides
- Most expensive naturally occurring rare earth
- Lu-177 is increasingly important in cancer treatment
- Named after ancient Paris
- Hardest and densest lanthanide