Gadolinium (Gd)

Gadolinium properties

Atomic number

64

Atomic mass

157.25 u

Category

Lanthanide

Group

—

Period

6

Block

f-block

State at room temp.

Solid

Electronegativity

1.2

Melting point

1,585 K (1,311.8 °C)

Boiling point

3,546 K (3,272.8 °C)

Density

7.9 g/cm³

Valence electrons

2

Common charges

+3

Oxidation states

+3

Atomic radius

237 pm

Ionization energy

6.15 eV

Electron affinity

—

Radioactive

No, has stable isotopes

Discovered

1880

Gadolinium electron configuration

The electron configuration of Gadolinium (Gd) is [Xe] 4f7 5d1 6s2. Its 64 electrons are arranged in shells as 2, 8, 18, 25, 9, 2.

Protons, neutrons and electrons in Gadolinium

A neutral Gadolinium atom has 64 protons and 64 electrons. Most Gadolinium atoms have about 93 neutrons: the atomic mass rounded to 157, minus the atomic number 64.

Neutrons are approximate: atoms of the same element can have different numbers of neutrons (isotopes). Atomic number and mass

How many valence electrons does Gadolinium have?

2

Gadolinium has 2 valence electrons in its outermost shell. As an f-block element, its 4f or 5f electrons can also take part in bonding.

See every element: Periodic table with valence electrons

Gadolinium orbital diagram

Each box is an orbital that holds up to two electrons with opposite spins (↑↓). The inner shells are the same as the noble gas in brackets. How to write electron configurations

Molar mass of Gadolinium

157.25 g/mol

One mole of Gadolinium atoms (6.022 × 10²³ atoms) has a mass of 157.25 grams. Use this value to convert between grams and moles.

Gadolinium facts

• Gadolinium is magnetic below about 20 °C but loses this magnetism above it, so a piece can be magnetic on a cool day but not a warm one.
• Gadolinium absorbs slow neutrons better than any other stable element, so it is used to help control and shield nuclear reactors.
• Gadolinium (Gd) has atomic number 64 and is a solid at room temperature. It was discovered in 1880.

Position in the periodic table

Gadolinium is element 64, in period 6 of the periodic table. It is one of the Lanthanides in the f-block, shown in the rows below the main table.

All lanthanides

Uses of Gadolinium

Gadolinium compounds are injected as contrast agents to make tissues and blood vessels show up more clearly in MRI scans. Gadolinium is also used in phosphors for X-ray imaging screens and in materials for microwave devices. Because it warms up when magnetized and cools when the field is removed, it is studied for magnetic refrigerators that could replace gas-based cooling.

Who discovered Gadolinium?

Swiss chemist Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac detected gadolinium in 1880 in Geneva, and Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran isolated a purer form of its oxide in 1886. It is named after the mineral gadolinite, which honors the Finnish chemist Johan Gadolin.

Where does the name come from?

Gadolinium is named after the mineral gadolinite, which honors Johan Gadolin, the Finnish chemist who discovered yttrium in it in 1794. Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac first detected gadolinium in 1880.

Discovery timeline