Erbium(III) chloride

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Erbium(III) chloride

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

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.

1 Structural data
2 Optical properties
3 References
4 External links

[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) - C⁴_2h. 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

↑ 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.