Erbium(III) chloride

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Erbium(III) chloride
Erbium(III) chloride hydrate photographed in sunlight
General
Systematic name Erbium(III) chloride
Other names Erbium trichloride
Molecular formula ErCl3
Molar mass 273.62 g/mol
Appearance pink crystalline solid
CAS number [10138-41-7]
Properties
Density and phase 4.1 g/cm3, solid
Melting point 776 °C (? K)
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for
materials in their standard state (at 25°C, 100 kPa)
Infobox disclaimer and references



Erbium(III) chloride is a violet solid used for the preparation of erbium metal.

Erbium(III) chloride hydrate photographed under a fluorescent lamp
Erbium(III) chloride hydrate photographed under a fluorescent lamp

It is also found as a pink crystalline hexahydrate, CAS number [10025-75-9]. It has the interesting property that the pink colour is much more intense under the light from a fluorescent lamp, as may be seen from the picture.

Anhydrous erbium(III) chloride is formed from the hexahydrate by heating under a strongly chlorinating atmosphere, such as chlorine or hydrogen chloride; otherwise erbium oxide chloride, ErOCl, is formed.

Contents

[edit] Structural data

Erbium chloride forms crystals of the AlCl3 type, with monoclinic crystals and the point group C2/m.[1]

Erbium(III) chloride hexahydrate also forms monoclinic crystals with the point group of P2/n (P2/c) - C42h. The erbium is octa-coordinated to form [Er(H2O)6Cl2]+ ions with the isolated Cl completing the structure.[2]

[edit] Optical properties

Erbium(III) chloride solutions show a negative nonlinear absorption effect.[3]

[edit] References

  1.  Tempelton DH, Carter GF (1954). "The Crystal Structure of Yttrium Trichloride and Similar Compounds". J Phys Chem: 940-943. 
  2.  Maeda Y, Akidzuki Y, Yamada T (1998). "All-optical liquid device derived from negative nonlinear absorption effect in an erbium chloride solution". Applied Physics Letters 73: 2411-2413. 
  3.  Graebner EJ, Conrad GH Duliere SF (1966). "Crystallographic data for solvated rare earth chlorides" 21: 1021. 

[edit] External links


In other languages