Oxidative Dissolution of Lanthanide Metals Ce and Ho in Molten GaCl3
Taylor V Fetrow1, Brenna K Cashman2, Stephanie H Carpenter2
1Pit Technologies, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States.
Abstract:
Gallium trichloride (GaCl3) was used as a solvent for the oxidative dissolution of the lanthanide (Ln) metals cerium (Ce) and holmium (Ho). Reactions were performed at temperatures above 100 °C in sealed vessels to maintain the liquid phase for GaCl3 during the oxidizing reactions. The best results were obtained from reactions using 8 equiv of GaCl3 to metal where the inorganic complexes [Ga][Ln(GaCl4)4] [Ln = Ce (1), Ho (2)] could be isolated. Recrystallization of 1 and 2 employing fluorobenzene (C6H5F) produced [Ga(η6-C6H5F)2][Ln(GaCl4)4] [Ln = Ce (3), Ho (4)] where reversible η6 coordination of C6H5F to [Ga]+ was observed. All complexes were characterized through elemental analysis (F and Cl), IR and UV-vis-near-IR spectroscopies, and both solution and solid-state NMR techniques.
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