Elements · ← Eu Europium · Tb Terbium →
Gadolinium complexes are used as MRI contrast agents.
| Symbol | Gd |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 64 |
| Standard atomic weight | 157.25 |
| Group | none (lanthanide series) |
| Period | 6 |
| Block | f-block |
| Category | Lanthanide |
| Standard state | Solid |
| Discovered | 1880 |
Source: PubChem, Gadolinium (periodic table data, retrieved 2026-10-19). Group and period follow the standard 18-column periodic table.
Caravan and colleagues reviewed gadolinium(III) chelates as MRI contrast agents: their structure, dynamics and applications.
As reported in: Caravan, Ellison, McMurry et al. (1999). Gadolinium(III) Chelates as MRI Contrast Agents: Structure, Dynamics, and Applications. Chemical Reviews. doi:10.1021/cr980440x
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Kanda and colleagues found that high signal in the brain's dentate nucleus and globus pallidus on unenhanced T1-weighted MRI correlated with the number of earlier gadolinium-based contrast doses.
As reported in: Kanda, Ishii, Kawaguchi et al. (2014). High Signal Intensity in the Dentate Nucleus and Globus Pallidus on Unenhanced T1-weighted MR Images: Relationship with Increasing Cumulative Dose of a Gadolinium-based Contrast Material. Radiology. doi:10.1148/radiol.13131669
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Search Google Patents for gadolinium in biological and medical uses: all patents · recent applications (2022+)
A patent is a legal claim, not proof that something works. See the Patents page.