Erbium(III) chloride

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Erbium(III) chloride

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Template:Longitem	Template:Chem2 (anhydrous) Template:Chem2 (hexahydrate)
Molar mass	273.62 g/mol (anhydrous) 381.71 g/mol (hexahydrate)
Appearance	violet hygroscopic monoclinic crystals (anhydrous) pink hygroscopic crystals (hexahydrate)
Density	4.1 g/cm3 (anhydrous)
Melting point	Template:Chembox CalcTemperatures
Boiling point	Template:Chembox CalcTemperatures
Template:Longitem	monoclinic
Template:Longitem	C2/m, No. 12
Template:Longitem	a = 6.80 Å, b = 11.79 Å, c = 6.39 Å α = 90°, β = 110.7°, γ = 90°
Template:Longitem	Erbium(III) oxide
Template:Longitem	Holmium(III) chloride, Thulium(III) chloride

Erbium(III) chloride is a violet solid with the formula Template:Chem2. It is used in the preparation of erbium metal.

Preparation

File:Erbium(III) chloride in fluorescent light.jpg

Erbium(III) chloride hydrate photographed under a fluorescent lamp

Anhydrous erbium(III) chloride can be produced by the ammonium chloride route. In the first step, erbium(III) oxide is heated with ammonium chloride to produce the ammonium salt of the pentachloride:

Template:Chem2

In the second step, the ammonium chloride salt is converted to the trichloride by heating in a vacuum at 350-400 °C:

Template:Chem2

Structural data

Erbium(III) chloride forms crystals of the [[aluminium chloride|Template:Chem2]] 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) - C⁴_2h. In this compound, erbium is octa-coordinated to form Template:Chem2 ions with the isolated Template:Chem2 completing the structure.

Optical properties

Erbium(III) chloride solutions show a negative nonlinear absorption effect.Template:Clarification needed

Catalytic properties

The use of erbium(III) chloride as a catalyst has been demonstrated in the acylation of alcohols and phenols and in an amine functionalisation of furfural. It is a catalyst for Friedel–Crafts-type reactions, and can be used in place of cerium(III) chloride for Luche reductions.