Aside from the coolness factor for the science fan in many of us, what would be the applications of such a compound:

At this point, it’s unclear what practical applications this compound could have with such a high melting point. There are lots other properties, like being able to resist oxidation, that needs to be researched. Still, scientists say their work could possibly be used as a protective barrier for gas turbines or making heat shields on aircraft.

Below is a cool video of a hafnium type compound in acation:

Nanometre-thin films can be deposited using Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD). This example shows the ALD chemistry for producing HfO2 from gaseous precursors HfCl4 (Cl=green) and H2O (O=red). ALD allows a uniform coating to be applied to complex objects – such as the inside of the fibre optic cable shown here.

thanks to washington post for the great info