Smith Lecture Presents Dr. Polly Louise Arnold, University of California, Berkeley
PLC 2025 SMITH LECTURE
Speaker: Dr. Polly Louise Arnold, University of California, Berkeley, College of Chemistry
Title: "Putting the F in Chemistry: A Molecular Exploration through the Footnotes of the Periodic Table, the Technology-Critical Rare Earth Elements, and Our Nuclear Waste Legacy"
Abstract: The subtleties of structure and bonding in compounds of the f-block, the heaviest naturally occurring elements are still poorly-understood. Yet a fundamental understanding is needed to develop environmentally cleaner ways to extract technology-critical rare earth metals, and for the safe, long-term handling of our nuclear waste legacies. This lecture will explore what chemistry can teach us about these complicated but important metals.