Americium(III) chloride

Americium(III) chloride
IUPAC name

Americium(III) chloride
Systematic name

Americium(3+) chloride
Other names

Americium chloride
Americium trichloride
Identifiers
CAS number 13464-46-5 Y
ChemSpider 15964177 Y Y
Jmol-3D images Image 1
Properties
Molecular formula AmCl3
Molar mass 349.42 g mol−1
Exact mass 347.907 g mol-1
Appearance Light red, opaque crystals
Density 5.87 g cm-3[1]
Melting point

715 °C, 988 K, 1319 °F ([2])
Boiling point

850 °C, 1123 K, 1562 °F ([1])
Structure
Crystal structure hexagonal (UCl3 type), hP8
Space group P63/m, No. 176
Coordination
geometry		 Tricapped trigonal prismatic
(nine-coordinate)
Related compounds
Other cations Europium(III) chloride
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Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)
Infobox references

Americium(III) chloride or americium trichloride is the chemical compound composed of americium and chlorine with the formula AmCl3. It forms pink hexagonal crystals. In the solid state each americium atom has nine chlorine atoms as near neighbours, at approximately the same distance, in a tricapped trigonal prismatic configuration.[3][4]

The hexahydrate has a monocline crystal structure with: a = 970,2 pm, b = 656,7 pm and c = 800,9 pm; β = 93° 37'; space group: P2/n.[5]

Reactions

An americium(III) chloride electrorefining method has been investigated to separate mixtures of lanthanides, since the standard Gibbs free energy of formation of americium(III) chloride is much different than the rest of the lanthanide chlorides.[6] This can be used to remove americium from plutonium by melting the crude mixture together with salts such as sodium chloride.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b "Chemistry: Periodic Table: americium: compound data (americium (III) chloride)". WebElements. http://www.webelements.com/compounds/americium/americium_trichloride.html. Retrieved 2008-06-24. 
  2. ^ Perry, Dale L.; Phillips, Sidney L. (1995), Handbook of Inorganic Compounds, CRC Press, pp. 15, ISBN 0-84938671-3, http://books.google.com/?id=0fT4wfhF1AsC&pg=PA15, retrieved 2008-06-25 
  3. ^ L. B. Asprey, T. K. Keenan, F. H. Kruse: "Crystal Structures of the Trifluorides, Trichlorides, Tribromides, and Triiodides of Americium and Curium", Inorg. Chem. 1965, 4 (7), 985–986; doi:10.1021/ic50029a013.
  4. ^ A. F. Wells: Structural Inorganic Chemistry 5th edition (1984) Oxford Science Publications, ISBN 0-19-855370-6.
  5. ^ John H. Burns, Joseph Richard Peterson: "The Crystal Structures of Americium Trichloride Hexahydrate and Berkelium Trichloride Hexahydrate", Inorg. Chem. 1971, 10 (1), 147–151; doi:10.1021/ic50095a029.
  6. ^ Nuclear Energy Agency (2000), written at Avignon, France, Proceedings of the Workshop on Pyrochemical Separations, OECD Publishing, pp. 276–277, ISBN 9-26418443-0, http://books.google.com/?id=Gv7ohTjfG0UC&pg=PA277&dq=%22Americium+chloride%22, retrieved 2008-06-24 
  7. ^ Plutonium Processing In The Nuclear Weapons Complex, Diane Publishing, 1992, pp. 21, ISBN 1-56806568-X, http://books.google.com/?id=0fc3lpCtUM4C&pg=PA21&dq=%22Americium+chloride%22, retrieved 2008-06-24