In vitro genotoxicity testing of four reference metal nanomaterials, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, cerium oxide and silver: towards reliable hazard assessment.

See more Cerium products. Cerium (atomic symbol: Ce, atomic number: 58) is a Block F, Group 3, Period 6 element with an atomic weight of 140.116. The number of electrons in each of cerium's shells is 2, 8, 18, 19, 9, 2 and its electron configuration is [Xe]4f² 6s². The cerium atom has a radius of 182.5 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 235 pm. In its elemental form, cerium has a silvery white appearance. Cerium is the most abundant of the rare earth metals. It is characterized chemically by having two valence states, the +3 cerous and +4 ceric states. The ceric state is the only non-trivalent rare earth ion stable in aqueous solutions. It is therefore strongly acidic and oxidizing, in addition to being moderately toxic.The cerous state closely resembles the other trivalent rare earths. Cerium is found in the minerals allanite, bastnasite, hydroxylbastnasite, monazite, rhabdophane, synchysite and zircon. Cerium was discovered by Martin Heinrich Klaproth, Jöns Jakob Berzelius, and Wilhelm Hisinger in 1803 and first isolated by Carl Gustaf Mosander in 1839. The element was named after the asteroid Ceres, which itself was named after the Roman god of agriculture.

See more Silver products. Silver (atomic symbol: Ag, atomic number: 47) is a Block D, Group 11, Period 5 element with an atomic weight of 107.8682. The number of electrons in each of Silver's shells is 2, 8, 18, 18, 1 and its electron configuration is [Kr]4d¹⁰ 5s¹. The silver atom has a radius of 144 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 203 pm. Silver was first discovered by Early Man prior to 5000 BC. In its elemental form, silver has a brilliant white metallic luster. It is a little harder than gold and is very ductile and malleable, being exceeded only by gold and perhaps palladium. Pure silver has the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of all metals and possesses the lowest contact resistance. It is stable in pure air and water, but tarnishes when exposed to ozone, hydrogen sulfide, or air containing sulfur. It is found in copper, copper-nickel, lead, and lead-zinc ores, among others. Silver was named after the Anglo-Saxon word "seolfor" or "siolfur," meaning 'silver'.

See more Titanium products. Titanium (atomic symbol: Ti, atomic number: 22) is a Block D, Group 4, Period 4 element with an atomic weight of 47.867. The number of electrons in each of Titanium's shells is [2, 8, 10, 2] and its electron configuration is [Ar] 3d² 4s². The titanium atom has a radius of 147 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 187 pm. Titanium was discovered by William Gregor in 1791 and first isolated by Jöns Jakob Berzelius in 1825. In its elemental form, titanium has a silvery grey-white metallic appearance. Titanium's properties are chemically and physically similar to zirconium, both of which have the same number of valence electrons and are in the same group in the periodic table. Titanium has five naturally occurring isotopes: ⁴⁶Ti through ⁵⁰Ti, with ⁴⁸Ti being the most abundant (73.8%). Titanium is found in igneous rocks and the sediments derived from them. It is named after the word Titanos, which is Greek for Titans.

See more Zinc products. Zinc (atomic symbol: Zn, atomic number: 30) is a Block D, Group 12, Period 4 element with an atomic weight of 65.38. The number of electrons in each of zinc's shells is 2, 8, 18, 2, and its electron configuration is [Ar] 3d¹⁰ 4s². The zinc atom has a radius of 134 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 210 pm. Zinc was discovered by Indian metallurgists prior to 1000 BC and first recognized as a unique element by Rasaratna Samuccaya in 800. Zinc was first isolated by Andreas Marggraf in 1746. In its elemental form, zinc has a silver-gray appearance. It is brittle at ordinary temperatures but malleable at 100 °C to 150 °C. It is a fair conductor of electricity, and burns in air at high red producing white clouds of the oxide. Zinc is mined from sulfidic ore deposits. It is the 24th most abundant element in the earth's crust and the fourth most common metal in use (after iron, aluminum, and copper). The name zinc originates from the German word "zin," meaning tin.