Dysprosium (Dy)

Silvery white

Dysprosium has the highest magnetic susceptibility of any element and strengthens neodymium magnets, and with ten 4f electrons, dysprosium³⁺ has a large magnetic moment. Adding Dy to Nd₂Fe₁₄B increases the coercivity, allowing magnets to operate at higher temperatures without demagnetizing.

Key metrics

Density8.54g/cm³

Melting point1,680K

Boiling point2,840K

Electronegativity1.22Pauling

Discovery

1886discovered

Discovered by: Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran
Reactivity profile: Slow oxidation
Reactivity: High
Bonding: Metallic

Electron configuration

\textcolor{#6b7280}{[Xe]}\; \textcolor{#a855f7}{4_{f}^{10}}\; \textcolor{#ef4444}{6_{s}^{2}}

[Xe] 4f10 6s2

Wave function

\Psi_{\text{Dy}} \approx \frac{1}{\sqrt{66!}} \det \left| \chi_1(\mathbf{r}_1) \dots \chi_{66}(\mathbf{r}_{66}) \right|

Probability density $|\Psi|^2$ across the Dy valence shell.

Crystal structure

Hexagonal Close-Packed

Lattice constantsa 1.00 · b 1.00 · c 1.63

Cell anglesα 90° · β 90° · γ 120°

Coordination number12

Atoms per cell2

Atomic packing factor0.74

Physical properties

Atomic radius: 175 pm
Ionization energy: 573 kJ/mol
Electron affinity: 50 kJ/mol
Crystal structure: Hexagonal close-packed (hcp)

Oxidation states

Acid/base

Basic

Strongly acidicStrongly basic

State at 25 °CSolid

1680 K2840 K298 K

Emission spectrum

3 transitions

380450500550600650700780

VioletBlueGreenYellowRed

521.0nmDy I (green)Green50%

565.2nmDy I (yellow)Yellow70%

573.0nmDy I (yellow)Yellow100%

Dominant line 573.0 nmRange 521–573 nmTransitions 3