Mo may be a little-known and important element that could be life-threatening when its levels in the body are unbalanced. With 42 protons and 54 neutrons, Mo is located right in the middle of the periodic table, and it is in considerable demand as an alloy for strengthening steel. It's also the only element that keeps most of your food from being lethal.

A team of researchers from the University of Bath recently published recent research advances on the processing and handling of tungsten (W) and its alloys. It belongs to group 6 of the periodic table, along with molybdenum, chromium, and boron. It is a refractory metal (the highest of all known pure metals) with extraordinary heat and wear resistance. It is known for its high density, high modulus of elasticity, high thermal conductivity, and excellent mechanical properties at high temperatures, in addition to its very high melting temperature. It is an ideal material for high-temperature structures in fusion energy and other applications.

Recently, a research team from Shanghai Tech University has prepared an electrochromic device (ECD) with a composite niobium tungsten oxide (Nb₁₈W₁₆O₉₃). Their results show that the composite niobium tungsten oxide has a fast response to the applied voltage and no observable degradation of the optical modulation is observed after a long period of cycling. The team's work provides a solution for electrochromic materials with fast response times and good cycling stability.

Molybdenum disilicide (MoSi₂), a catalyst that converts carbon dioxide into fuel, has helped researchers take another step toward solving global warming by converting CO₂ into fuel. Using theoretical models, researchers at the Queensland University of Technology's Centre for Materials Science have determined that six metals (nickel, niobium, palladium, rhenium, and rhodium) have been found to be efficient in the reaction that converts CO₂ into sustainable clean energy.