Erbium(III) chloride
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Erbium(III) chloride | |
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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 | [ | ]
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.
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.
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.
[edit] Optical properties
Erbium(III) chloride solutions show a negative nonlinear absorption effect.
[edit] References
- ↑ Tempelton DH, Carter GF (1954). "The Crystal Structure of Yttrium Trichloride and Similar Compounds". J Phys Chem: 940-943.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Graebner EJ, Conrad GH Duliere SF (1966). "Crystallographic data for solvated rare earth chlorides" 21: 1021.