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Related Concept Videos

Bonding in Metals02:32

Bonding in Metals

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Metallic bonds are formed between two metal atoms. A simplified model to describe metallic bonding has been developed by Paul Drüde called the “Electron Sea Model”. 
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Metallic Solids02:37

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Metallic solids such as crystals of copper, aluminum, and iron are formed by metal atoms. The structure of metallic crystals is often described as a uniform distribution of atomic nuclei within a “sea” of delocalized electrons. The atoms within such a metallic solid are held together by a unique force known as metallic bonding that gives rise to many useful and varied bulk properties.
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability....
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Alkali Metals03:06

Alkali Metals

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Group 1 elements are soft and shiny metallic solids. They are malleable, ductile, and good conductors of heat and electricity. The melting points of the alkali metals are unusually low for metals and decrease going down the group, while the density increases going down the group with the exception of potassium (Table 1).
Table 1: Properties of the alkali metals
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Metal-Ligand Bonds02:51

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The hemoglobin in the blood, the chlorophyll in green plants, vitamin B-12, and the catalyst used in the manufacture of polyethylene all contain coordination compounds. Ions of the metals, especially the transition metals, are likely to form complexes.
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Properties of Transition Metals02:58

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Transition metals are defined as those elements that have partially filled d orbitals. As shown in Figure 1, the d-block elements in groups 3–12 are transition elements. The f-block elements, also called inner transition metals (the lanthanides and actinides), also meet this criterion because the d orbital is partially occupied before the f orbitals.
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Particles in a solid are tightly packed together (fixed shape) and often arranged in a regular pattern; in a liquid, they are close together with no regular arrangement (no fixed shape); in a gas, they are far apart with no regular arrangement (no fixed shape). Particles in a solid vibrate about fixed positions (cannot flow) and do not generally move in relation to one another; in a liquid, they move past each other (can flow) but remain in essentially constant contact; in a gas, they move...
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Fabrication of Mechanically Tunable and Bioactive Metal Scaffolds for Biomedical Applications
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Advances in liquid metals for biomedical applications.

Junjie Yan1, Yue Lu2, Guojun Chen3

  • 1Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA. zgu@email.unc.edu and Molecular Imaging Center, Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Ministry of Health, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, P. R. China. yangmin@jsinm.org and Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA and Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, USA.

Chemical Society Reviews
|March 21, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Liquid metals, particularly gallium alloys, show promise for biomedical applications due to their unique properties. This review covers their use in drug delivery, imaging, and therapy, alongside clinical translation challenges.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • Liquid metals, especially gallium-based alloys, possess unique physicochemical properties like low viscosity, high conductivity, and biocompatibility.
  • These properties have driven significant interest in their bio-related applications over the past decade.
  • Traditional applications span electronics, mechanical engineering, and energy sectors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce the fundamental properties and performance of liquid metals.
  • To highlight the distinctive characteristics of gallium and its alloys relevant to biological systems.
  • To summarize current advanced bio-applications of liquid metals.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on liquid metals and their applications.
  • Analysis of physicochemical properties relevant to biomedical contexts.
  • Categorization and summary of state-of-the-art bio-applications.

Main Results:

  • Liquid metals exhibit excellent fluidity, thermal/electrical conductivity, and biocompatibility, making them suitable for biological use.
  • Key applications include drug delivery carriers, molecular imaging agents, cancer therapy platforms, and components for biomedical devices.
  • The review details specific examples and mechanisms for these diverse applications.

Conclusions:

  • Gallium-based liquid metals offer versatile platforms for advanced biomedical applications.
  • Further research and development are needed to address challenges for clinical translation.
  • Liquid metals represent a promising frontier in bio-related technological innovation.