Lanthanum(III) chloride

Template:Chembox image cellTemplate:Chembox AllOtherNamesTemplate:Chembox headerbarTemplate:Chembox IndexlistTemplate:Chembox JmolTemplate:Chembox ChEMBLTemplate:Chembox ECHATemplate:Chembox E numberTemplate:Chembox IUPHAR ligandTemplate:Chembox UNIITemplate:Chembox CompToxTemplate:Chembox headerbarTemplate:Chembox SolubilityInWaterTemplate:Chembox headerbarTemplate:Chembox CrystalStructFormulasTemplate:Chembox headerbarTemplate:Chembox Datapage checkTemplate:Chembox Footer

Lanthanum(III) chloride

Template:Chembox image sbs cell
Template:Longitem	Template:Unbulleted list
ChEBI	Template:Unbulleted list
ChemSpider	Template:Unbulleted list
DrugBank	Template:Unbulleted list
EC Number	Template:Unbulleted list
KEGG	Template:Unbulleted list
Template:Longitem	Template:Unbulleted list
RTECS number	Template:Unbulleted list
Template:Longitem	LaCl3
Molar mass	245.264 g/mol (anhydrous) 353.36 g/mol (hexahydrate) 371.37 g/mol (heptahydrate)
Appearance	white odorless powder hygroscopic
Density	3.84 g/cm3
Melting point	Template:Chembox CalcTemperatures
Boiling point	Template:Chembox CalcTemperatures
Solubility	soluble in ethanol (heptahydrate)
Template:Longitem	hexagonal (UCl3 type), hP8
Template:Longitem	P63/m, No. 176
Template:Longitem	a = 0.74779 nm, b = 0.74779 nm, c = 0.43745 nm
Template:Longitem	Tricapped trigonal prismatic,(nine-coordinate)
Template:Longitem	Lanthanum oxide
Template:Longitem	Cerium(III) chloride

Lanthanum chloride is the inorganic compound with the formula LaCl₃. It is a common salt of lanthanum which is mainly used in research. It is a white solid that is highly soluble in water and alcohols.

Preparation

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

La₂O₃ + 10NH₄Cl → 2(NH₄)₂LaCl₅ + 6H₂O + 6NH₃

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

(NH₄)₂LaCl₅ → LaCl₃ + 2HCl + 2NH₃

Uses

Lanthanum chloride is also used in biochemical research to block the activity of divalent cation channels, mainly calcium channels. Doped with cerium, it is used as a scintillator material.

In organic synthesis, lanthanum trichloride functions as a mild Lewis acid for converting aldehydes to acetals.

The compound has been identified as a catalyst for the high pressure oxidative chlorination of methane to chloromethane with hydrochloric acid and oxygen. In Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC), lanthanum chloride enhances catalysts to convert heavy crude into valuable fuels like gasoline and diesel.

Also used in the field of geology as a very dilute solution, which when combined with the proper acids can help identify small >1% Strontium content in powdered rock samples.

Lanthanum chloride also contributes to environmental remediation by promoting- the catalytic transformation of pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and phosphate ions, into less harmful products. It can also be commercially viable and significantly outperform conventional materials such as ion exchange resins, activated carbons, and iron oxides in water and wastewater treatment, especially for the removal of anionic pollutants.