Modern materials superconductors

In the next breath you take, almost all the atoms you inhale will be of elements in the final four groups of the periodic table. Except for the gases containing carbon and hydrogen, air is made up almost entirely of elements from this part of the p block, some as elements and some as compounds. The p-block elements are present in most of the compounds necessary for life and are used to create fascinating and useful modern materials, such as superconductors, plasma screens, and high-performance nanodevices. 

In addition to catalytic applications, the perovskite backbone is a key component in modern high-temperature superconductive materials. By definition, a superconductor exhibits no resistance to electrical conductivity, and will oppose an external magnetic field, a phenomenon referred to as the Meissner effect (Figure 2.19). Many pure transition metals e.g., Ti, Zr, Hf, Mo, W, Ru, Os, Ir, Zn, Cd, Hg) and main group metals e.g., Al, Ga, In, Sn, Pb) exhibit superconductivity, many only when exposed to high-pressure conditions. These materials are referred to as Type I or soft superconductors. 

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