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Updated: Jun 29, 2026

Hyperspectral Imaging as a Tool to Study Optical Anisotropy in Lanthanide-Based Molecular Single Crystals
Published on: April 14, 2020
Crystal structures, phase-transition, and photoluminescence of rare earth carbodiimides
Jochen Glaser1, Leonid Unverfehrt, Helga Bettentrup
1Abteilung für Festkörperchemie und Theoretische Anorganische Chemie, Institut für Anorganische Chemie, Universität Tübingen, Ob dem Himmelreich 7, D-72074 Tübingen, Germany.
Abstract:
Rare earth carbodiimides with the general formula RE 2(CN 2) 3 crystallize with two modifications. A monoclinic( C2/m) modification is obtained for RE = Y, Ce-Tm and a rhombohedral ( R3 c) modification for RE = Tm-Lu. The space group R3 c is confirmed by single-crystal structure determination on Lu 2(CN 2) 3 and indexed powder patterns of RE = Tm, Yb and Lu. The use of diverse chemical syntheses conditions for Tm 2(CN 2) 3 revealed the dimorphic character of this compound. In addition, pressure experiments on Tm 2(CN 2) 3 have induced a phase-transition from rhombohedral to monoclinic. This transformation comprises an increase of the coordination number of Tm from 6 to 7, and a unit-cell volume reduction in the order of 20 %. The photoluminescence behavior of lanthanide doped Gd 2(CN 2) 3:Ln samples is presented with different activators (Ln = Ce, Tb) revealing a broad band emission of Gd 2(CN 2) 3:Ce, quite similar to that of the well-known YAG:Ce.
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