Lanthanum compounds characteristics

Thus, Mosander s activities led to the originally two-element division into a six-element division. The cerium compounds are yellow at the higher oxidation level and colourless at the lower oxidation level, lanthanum compounds are white, didymium compounds are red, yttrium and erbium compounds are white, terbium compounds are pink. Chemists existed, of course, who disputed the existence of these elements. Unequivocal identification of elements was, however, possible in later times only. In the period in question, the main characteristics on the basis of which a substance could be qualified as a new element were separability, colour, crystal shape and reactivity. Even atomic mass determinations were largely uncertain, particularly in the group of the rare earth elements, it will be seen in the... 

Reference has been made already to the existence of a set of inner transition elements, following lanthanum, in which the quantum level being filled is neither the outer quantum level nor the penultimate level, but the next inner. These elements, together with yttrium (a transition metal), were called the rare earths , since they occurred in uncommon mixtures of what were believed to be earths or oxides. With the recognition of their special structure, the elements from lanthanum to lutetium were re-named the lanthanons or lanthanides. They resemble one another very closely, so much so that their separation presented a major problem, since all their compounds are very much alike. They exhibit oxidation state -i-3 and show in this state predominantly ionic characteristics—the ions. 

The rare earth oxides have a number of distinguishing properties important in catalytic applications. The oxides are basic O) compared to alumina, lanthanum oxide (La203) being the most basic. The oxides also have good thermal stability, a valuable characteristic in most industrial applications. Some rare earths including cerium, praseodymium, and terbium form non-stoichiomet-ric oxides ( ), an important property shared by many good oxidation catalysts. These mixed valence state compounds are typically polymorphic. 

The lanthanide series of metals includes the 15 elements with atomic numbers 57-71, plus yttrium (atomic number 39). The lanthanides occur in the earth s crust at concentrations exceeding some commonly used industrial elements making the term rare earths something of a misnomer. For example, yttrium, cerium, lanthanum, and neodymium are present in the earth s crust at higher concentrations than lead. Of the 15 lanthanides, only promethium does not occur in nature - it is a man-made element. All of the lanthanides have similar physical and chemical properties. Because of similarities in their chemistry and toxicity, the characteristics of the lanthanides are often described as a group. Within the lanthanide group, however, there are differences between the toxicity of the individual lanthanide elements and their compounds. 

The cerous salts are derivatives of Ce203, which may be prepared by reducing CeC>2 with hydrogen at 2000° C. and 150 atmospheres pressure. Ignition of a cerous salt produces CeC>2, completely in the air and partially in hydrogen or in a vacuum. The cerous salts resemble those of lanthanum and yttrium very closely. For the characteristics of the individual compounds see pages 111-113. 

An industrial process to prepare those materials with well controlled composition has been developed, particle size, surface area, and phase purity. The resulting application properties are superior to conventional products obtained by solid state routes. Table 9-5 gathers the typical characteristics of such compounds. An example of a study conducted on lanthanum chromite is given in reference 32. New lanthanum manganite products were also patented [33]. 

The reliability of measurements of the partial pressures of R2CI6 can in principle be verified by a standard procedure based on changes in the thermod)mamic characteristics of these molecules along the lanthanide series. However, the enthalpy of atomization AatH°(298) is not the most convenient parameter for such a check since it does not vary monotoni-cally with the number of the lanthanides in the series. The plot of this dependence is a broken line with maxima at lanthanum, gadolinium, and lutetium compounds and minima at europium and ytterbium compounds. In addition, the enthalpy of atomization usually increases in going from dysprosium to erbium dimers. 

In Table 2 are collected some characteristic Y NMR chemical shifts. Nowadays, a common reference compound for Y NMR is aqueous Y(N03)s although aqueous YCI3 also has been used. In fact, both salts form, in water, the same hexahydrate cation, [Y(H20)g]. Generally, the chemical shifts of the yttrium salts show similar concentration trends to those observed for scandium and lanthanum. 

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