What does anything have to do the origin of the atom? If it is a single atom, it doesn't have the properties of its molecule. The following sentence makes me think all the article is BS, or the reporter confused a molecule with an atom ---> "Strontium is a soft, silvery metal that burns in air and reacts with water. It's best known for giving fireworks and flares their brilliant red glow, and for being one of the key ingredients in 'glow-in-the-dark' paints and plastics, as it can absorb light and re-emit it slowly. Which is exactly what happened in this photograph."
The choice of atoms in these experiments have a lot to do with the way they interact with light. This is very much related to their behavior in chemistry and paints. Sure, not all properties are the same as for the bulk material, especially if we are talking about metals, but many do carry over.
