Gadolinium-160 Oxide Isotope

See more Gadolinium products. Gadolinium (atomic symbol: Gd, atomic number: 64) is a Block F, Group 3, Period 6 element with an atomic radius of 157.25. The number of electrons in each of Gadolinium's shells is [2, 8, 18, 25, 9, 2] and its electron configuration is [Xe] 4f⁷ 5d¹ 6s². The gadolinium atom has a radius of 180 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 237 pm. Gadolinium was discovered by Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac in 1880 and first isolated by Lecoq de Boisbaudran in 1886. In its elemental form, gadolinium has a silvery-white appearance. Gadolinium is a rare earth or lanthanide element that possesses unique properties advantageous to specialized applications such as semiconductor fabrication and nuclear reactor shielding. It is utilized for both its high magnetic moment (7.94μ B) and in phosphors and scintillator crystals. When complexed with EDTA ligands, it is used as an injectable contrast agent for MRIs. The element is named after the Finnish chemist and geologist Johan Gadolin.