镧并不单独存在于自然界中,通常伴随着铈等其他稀土元素一同出现。1839年,镧首次由瑞典化学家卡尔·古斯塔夫·莫桑德(英语:Carl Gustav Mosander)在硝酸铈的杂质中发现,以古希腊文λανθάνειν(lanthanein,意为“隐藏”)命名。虽然镧被归类为稀土元素,但镧在地壳中元素丰度的排名为第28,几乎是铅的三倍。在独居石和氟碳铈矿(英语:Bastnäsite)等稀土矿物中,镧约占镧系元素总含量的四分之一,是含量第三多的镧系及稀土元素[4]。由于稀土元素彼此间的化学性质极度相似,分离的过程非常复杂而困难,因此直到1923年科学家才成功提取出纯镧金属。
历史上,镧的第一个用处是煤气灯纱罩(英语:gas mantle)。卡尔·奥尔·冯·威尔斯巴赫(英语:Carl Auer von Welsbach)使用氧化镧和二氧化锆的混合物(他称之为Actinophor)来做煤气罩,并于1886年获得专利。最初制成的煤气罩燃烧后发出了绿色的光芒,以照明用途来说并不是很成功。他的第一家公司于1887年在阿茨格斯多夫(英语:Atzgersdorf)建立了一家工厂,但在1889年失败而倒闭。之后冯·威尔斯巴赫于1891年研发出了以二氧化钍为材料的新型煤气罩并大获成功,一度成为多年间欧洲各国的主要照明设备。[41]
钇和所有的镧系元素(Ce和Pm除外)在双(1,3,5-三叔丁基苯)的配合物中展示了0氧化态,见 Cloke, F. Geoffrey N. Zero Oxidation State Compounds of Scandium, Yttrium, and the Lanthanides. Chem. Soc. Rev. 1993, 22: 17–24. doi:10.1039/CS9932200017. 和Arnold, Polly L.; Petrukhina, Marina A.; Bochenkov, Vladimir E.; Shabatina, Tatyana I.; Zagorskii, Vyacheslav V.; Cloke. Arene complexation of Sm, Eu, Tm and Yb atoms: a variable temperature spectroscopic investigation. Journal of Organometallic Chemistry. 2003-12-15, 688 (1–2): 49–55. doi:10.1016/j.jorganchem.2003.08.028.
Scerri, Eric. Provisional Report on Discussions on Group 3 of the Periodic Table. Chemistry International. 18 January 2021, 43 (1): 31–34. S2CID 231694898. doi:10.1515/ci-2021-0115.
Wittig, Jörg. The pressure variable in solid state physics: What about 4f-band superconductors?. H. J. Queisser (编). Festkörper Probleme: Plenary Lectures of the Divisions Semiconductor Physics, Surface Physics, Low Temperature Physics, High Polymers, Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics, of the German Physical Society, Münster, March 19–24, 1973. Advances in Solid State Physics 13. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer. 1973: 375–396. ISBN 978-3-528-08019-8. doi:10.1007/BFb0108579.
Gschneidner Jr., Karl A. 282. Systematics. Jean-Claude G. Bünzli; Vitalij K. Pecharsky (编). Handbook on the Physics and Chemistry of Rare Earths 50. 2016: 12–16. ISBN 978-0-444-63851-9.
Jørgensen, Christian. The Loose Connection between Electron Configuration and the Chemical Behavior of the Heavy Elements (Transuranics). Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 1973, 12 (1): 12–19. doi:10.1002/anie.197300121.
Weeks, Mary Elvira. The Discovery of the Elements: XI. Some Elements Isolated with the Aid of Potassium and Sodium:Zirconium, Titanium, Cerium and Thorium. The Journal of Chemical Education. 1932, 9 (7): 1231–1243. Bibcode:1932JChEd...9.1231W. doi:10.1021/ed009p1231.
(Berzelius) (1839) "Nouveau métal" (New metal), Comptes rendus, 8 : 356-357. From p. 356: "L'oxide de cérium, extrait de la cérite par la procédé ordinaire, contient à peu près les deux cinquièmes de son poids de l'oxide du nouveau métal qui ne change que peu les propriétés du cérium, et qui s'y tient pour ainsi dire caché. Cette raison a engagé M. Mosander à donner au nouveau métal le nom de Lantane." (The oxide of cerium, extracted from cerite by the usual procedure, contains almost two fifths of its weight in the oxide of the new metal, which differs only slightly from the properties of cerium, and which is held in it so to speak "hidden". This reason motivated Mr. Mosander to give to the new metal the name Lantane.)
Tliha, M.; Mathlouthi, H.; Lamloumi, J.; Percheronguegan, A. AB5-type hydrogen storage alloy used as anodic materials in Ni-MH batteries. Journal of Alloys and Compounds. 2007, 436 (1–2): 221–225. doi:10.1016/j.jallcom.2006.07.012.
Larry Jeffus. Types of Tungsten. Welding : principles and applications. Clifton Park, N.Y.: Thomson/Delmar Learning. 2003: 350. ISBN 978-1-4018-1046-7. (原始内容存档于2010-09-23).
Chau YP; Lu KS. Investigation of the blood-ganglion barrier properties in rat sympathetic ganglia by using lanthanum ion and horseradish peroxidase as tracers. Acta Anatomica. 1995, 153 (2): 135–144. ISSN 0001-5180. PMID 8560966. doi:10.1159/000313647.
Hagheseresht; Wang, Shaobin; Do, D. D. A novel lanthanum-modified bentonite, Phoslock, for phosphate removal from wastewaters. Applied Clay Science. 2009, 46 (4): 369–375. doi:10.1016/j.clay.2009.09.009.
Pol, Arjan; Barends, Thomas R. M.; Dietl, Andreas; Khadem, Ahmad F.; Eygensteyn, Jelle; Jetten, Mike S. M.; Op Den Camp, Huub J. M. Rare earth metals are essential for methanotrophic life in volcanic mudpots. Environmental Microbiology. 2013, 16 (1): 255–64. PMID 24034209. doi:10.1111/1462-2920.12249.