Sc, Y, the lanthanides and the actinides

The treatment of this, numerically large, group of elements follows a similar scheme to that adopted last year. Within each section, general monographs and review articles are first considered. Then follows a summary of published work on the elements hydrides, halides, chalcogens, pnictides, and compounds with other relatively electronegative elements. Next, salts of inorganic acids, properties of solutions, complexes with organic ligands, and organometallic compounds are covered in that order. Publications on structural, physical and chemical properties of solids containing Y and the Ln now represent a large proportion of the total research output on this group of elements. Increasing interest in mixed valence compounds is apparent. With the An, the bulk of the research effort continues to be directed towards a relatively few elements, namely U, Th, Pu, and, more recently, to an increasing extent, Np. (author)