Editing Samarium (section)

===Chemical reagent===
Samarium and its compounds are important as catalysts and [[chemical reagent]]s. Samarium catalysts help the decomposition of plastics, dechlorination of pollutants such as [[polychlorinated biphenyl]]s (PCB), as well as dehydration and [[dehydrogenation]] of ethanol.<ref name="CRC" /> [[Lanthanide trifluoromethanesulfonates|Samarium(III) triflate]] {{chem2|Sm(OTf)3}}, that is {{chem2|Sm(CF3SO3)3}}, is one of the most efficient [[Lewis acid]] catalysts for a halogen-promoted [[Friedel–Crafts reaction]] with alkenes.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Hajra |first1=S.|last2=Maji |first2=B.|last3=Bar |first3=S. |title=Samarium Triflate-Catalyzed Halogen-Promoted Friedel-Crafts Alkylation with Alkenes|date=2007|journal= [[Org. Lett.]]|volume= 9|issue= 15|pages= 2783–2786|doi= 10.1021/ol070813t|pmid=17585769}}</ref> [[Samarium(II) iodide]] is a very common reducing and coupling agent in [[organic synthesis]], for example in [[desulfonylation reactions]]; [[annulation]]; [[Danishefsky Taxol total synthesis|Danishefsky]], [[Kuwajima Taxol total synthesis|Kuwajima]], [[Mukaiyama Taxol total synthesis|Mukaiyama]] and [[Holton Taxol total synthesis|Holton Taxol total syntheses]]; [[strychnine total synthesis]]; [[Barbier reaction]] and other [[reductions with samarium(II) iodide]].<ref>{{cite book| page=1128| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U3MWRONWAmMC&pg=PA1128|title =Advanced inorganic chemistry |edition=6th |last1= Cotton|first1=F. Albert |last2=Wilkinson |first2=Geoffrey |last3=Murillo |first3=Carlos A. |last4=Bochmann |first4=Manfred |publisher= Wiley|location=New Delhi, India|date=2007|isbn =978-81-265-1338-3}}</ref>

In its usual oxidized form, samarium is added to ceramics and glasses where it increases absorption of infrared light. As a (minor) part of [[mischmetal]], samarium is found in the "[[flint]]" ignition devices of many [[lighter]]s and torches.<ref name="emsley" /><ref name="CRC" />