Indium compounds properties

Lactones, via indium compounds, 9, 686 Lactonizations, via ruthenium catalysts, 10, 160 Ladder polysilanes, preparation and properties, 3, 639 Lanthanacarboranes, synthesis, 3, 249 Lanthanide complexes with alkenyls, 4, 17 with alkyls, 4, 7 with alkynyls, 4, 17 with allyls, 4, 19 with arenes, 4, 119, 4, 118 and aromatic C-F bond activation, 1, 738 bis(Cp ), 4, 73... 

Indium is a soft malleable, silvery white metal. Due to its low friction properties, it is used in bearing alloys. Certain indium compounds have unique semiconductor properties. Films of ITO, indium-tin oxide (80% In Oj), are transparent to visible light but not for infrared light. In addition they have good electrical conductivity. The electrical conductivity of the thin coating is utilized on windshields for railway locomotives and airplanes to make it possible to warm them up with electric current for defogging. 

Alloys. GaUium has complete miscibility in the hquid state with aluminum, indium, tin, and zinc. No compounds are formed. However, these binary systems form simple eutectics having the following properties ... 

The platinum-group metals (PGMs), which consist of six elements in Groups 8— 10 (VIII) of the Periodic Table, are often found collectively in nature. They are mthenium, Ru rhodium, Rh and palladium, Pd, atomic numbers 44 to 46, and osmium. Os indium, Ir and platinum, Pt, atomic numbers 76 to 78. Corresponding members of each triad have similar properties, eg, palladium and platinum are both ductile metals and form active catalysts. Rhodium and iridium are both characterized by resistance to oxidation and chemical attack (see Platinum-GROUP metals, compounds). 

Coordination Compounds. A large number of indium complexes with nitrogen ligands have been isolated, particularly where Ir is in the +3 oxidation state. Examples of ammine complexes include pr(NH3)3] " [24669-15-6], prCl(NH3)] " [29589-09-1], and / j -pr(03SCF3)2(en)2]" [90065-94-4], Compounds of A/-heterocychc ligands include trans- [xCX py)][ [24952-67-8], Pr(bipy)3] " [16788-86-6], and an unusual C-metalated bipyridine complex, Pr(bipy)2(C, N-bipy)] [87137-18-6]. Isolation of this latter complex produced some confusion regarding the chemical and physical properties of Pr(bipy)3]3+ (167). 

Unlike boron, aluminum, gallium, and indium, thallium exists in both stable univalent (thaHous) and trivalent (thaUic) forms. There are numerous thaHous compounds, which are usually more stable than the corresponding thaUic compounds. The thaUium(I) ion resembles the alkaU metal ions and the silver ion in properties. In this respect, it forms a soluble, strongly basic hydroxide and a soluble carbonate, oxide, and cyanide like the alkaU metal ions. However, like the silver ion, it forms a very soluble fluoride, but the other haUdes are insoluble. Thallium (ITT) ion resembles aluminum, gallium, and indium ions in properties. 

Extensive structural, optical, and electronic studies on the chalcopyrite semiconductors have been stimulated by the promising photovoltaic and photoelectrochem-ical properties of the copper-indium diselenide, CuInSe2, having a direct gap of about 1.0 eV, viz. close to optimal for terrestrial photovoltaics, and a high absorption coefficient which exceeds 10 cm . The physical properties of this and the other compounds of the family can be modulated to some extent by a slight deviation from stoichiometry. Thus, both anion and cation deficiencies may be tolerated, inducing, respectively, n- and p-type conductivities a p-type behavior would associate to either selenium excess or copper deficiency. 

Indium and gallium coordination compounds containing phosphine ligands have recently aroused interest for their widespread application as intermediates in the preparation of the Group 13 - Group 14 semiconductors [4], Since the early reports about compounds with transition metal-indium bonds [51, relatively little research has been reported in this field. However there is a growing interest in the coordination chemistry and structural features of heterometallic indium [6] and gallium complexes [7] which are also attractive as potential precursors of new materials with particular properties. 

McCord CP, Meek SF, Harrold GC, Huess-ner CE Physiologic properties of indium and its compounds. Ind Hyg Toxicol 24 243-254, 1942... 

Chemical properties of gallium fall between those of aluminum and indium. It forms mostly the binary and oxo compounds in -i-3 oxidation state. It forms a stable oxide, Ga203 and a relatively volatile suboxide, Ga20. 

The oxidizing properties of thallium(III) in both aqueous and non-aqueous media obviously preclude the existence of a number of compounds analogous to those found for aluminum, gallium and indium in this oxidation state. Thus, while there is much richer chemistry for thallium in the +1 state, there is a concomitant decrease in the detailed information on thallium(III) coordination chemistry. 

The periodic trends in main-group elements become apparent when we compare the binary compounds they form with one specific element. All the main-group elements, with the exception of the noble gases and, possibly, indium and thallium, form binary compounds with hydrogen, so these hydrides can be examined to look for periodic trends. We meet the binary hydrides several times in this chapter and the next, so, at this stage, we confine the discussion to a brief survey and see how their properties reveal periodic behavior. 

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