Clustered together in the centre of the Periodic Table lie six remarkable elements, six metals without which the world would be a completely different place. Think about the food you eat, your computer, your car, your mobile phone or even the clothes you wear. At some stage during their production one or more of these six rare metals has been utilised, whether as a catalyst or perhaps in the end product itself. The platinum group metals (pgms) play an essential role in our modern lifestyles.Platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium are rare, expensive and have a unique combination of incredibly useful properties. For example, high thermal stability, corrosion and oxidation resistance and the ability to catalyse a broad range of chemical reactions make them indispensable in processes such as petroleum refining, nitric acid, bulk chemical production and glass manufacture. They are also to be found in a diverse range of products such as the hard disk drives in computers and data storage centres, the airbag in your car or the jet engine that carries you to your holiday destination. Apart from their chemical properties the pgms and platinum and palladium in particular have found favour in both the jewellery and investment markets. Platinum has for many years been marketed as a premium jewellery metal, rarer and more precious even than gold.
Tracing bulk elemental ratios in exoplanetary atmospheres with TiO chemistry
