Erbia

Erbium oxide

Names
Other names Erbium oxide, erbia
Identifiers
CAS Number	12061-16-4 Y
3D model (Jmol)	Interactive image
ChemSpider	4298039 Y
ECHA InfoCard	100.031.847
PubChem	159426
InChI InChI=1S/2Er.3O Y Key: VQCBHWLJZDBHOS-UHFFFAOYSA-N Y InChI=1/2Er.3O/rEr2O3/c3-1-5-2-4 Key: VQCBHWLJZDBHOS-YMHUIQTEAQ
SMILES O=[Er]O[Er]=O
Properties
Chemical formula	Er2O3
Molar mass	382.56 g/mol
Appearance	pink crystals
Density	8.64 g/cm3
Melting point	2,344 °C (4,251 °F; 2,617 K)
Boiling point	3,290 °C (5,950 °F; 3,560 K)
Solubility in water	insoluble in water
Magnetic susceptibility (χ)	+73,920·10−6 cm3/mol
Structure
Crystal structure	Cubic, cI80
Space group	Ia-3, No. 206
Thermochemistry
Specific heat capacity (C)	108.5 J·mol−1·K−1
Std molar entropy (So298)	155.6 J·mol−1·K−1
Std enthalpy of formation (ΔfHo298)	−1897.9 kJ·mol−1
Related compounds
Other anions	Erbium(III) chloride
Other cations	Holmium(III) oxide, Thulium(III) oxide
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
Y  (what is YN ?)
Infobox references

Erbium(III) oxide, is synthesized from the lanthanide metal erbium. It was partially isolated by Carl Gustaf Mosander in 1843, and first obtained in pure form in 1905 by Georges Urbain and Charles James. It has a pink color with a cubic crystal structure. Under certain conditions erbium oxide can also have a hexagonal form. Erbium oxide is toxic when inhaled, taken orally, or injected into the blood stream in massive amounts. The effect of erbium oxides in low concentrations on humans over long periods of time has not been determined.

Erbium metal tarnishes slowly in air. Erbium burns readily to form erbium (III) oxide:

Formation of erbium oxide: 4 Er + 3 O₂ → 2 Er₂O₃ Erbium oxide is insoluble in water and soluble in mineral acids. Er₂O₃ readily absorb moisture and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It can react with acids to form the corresponding erbium(III) salts.

Reaction with hydrochloric acid: Er₂O₃ + 6 HCl → 2 ErCl₃ + 3 H₂O

One interesting property of erbium oxides is their ability to up convert energy. Energy up conversion takes place when infrared or visible radiation, low energy light, is converted to ultraviolet or violet radiation higher energy light via multiple transfer or absorption of energy. Erbium oxide nanoparticles also possess photoluminescence properties. Erbium oxide nanoparticles can be formed by applying ultrasound (20 kHz, 29 W·cm⁻²) in the presence of multiwall carbon nanotubes. The erbium oxide nanoparticles that have been successfully made by employing ultrasound are erbium carboxioxide, hexagonal and spherical geometry erbium oxide. Each ultrasonically formed erbium oxide is photoluminescence in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum under excitation of 379 nm in water. Hexagonal erbium oxide photoluminescence is long lived and allows higher energy transitions (⁴S_3/2 - ⁴I_15/2). Spherical erbium oxide does not experience ⁴S_3/2 - ⁴I_15/2 energy transitions.

The applications of Er₂O₃ are varied due to their electrical, optical and photoluminescence properties. Nanoscale materials doped with Er⁺³ are of much interest because they have special particle-size-dependent optical and electrical properties. Erbium oxide doped nanoparticle materials can be dispersed in glass or plastic for display purposes, such as display monitors. The spectroscopy of Er+3 electronic transitions in host crystals lattices of nanoparticles combined with ultrasonically formed geometries in aqueous solution of carbon nanotubes is of great interest for synthesis of photoluminescence nanoparticles in ‘green’ chemistry. Erbium oxide is among the most important rare earth metals used in biomedicine. The photoluminescence property of erbium oxide nanoparticles on carbon nanotubes makes them useful in biomedical applications. For example, erbium oxide nanoparticles can be surface modified for distribution into aqueous and non-aqueous media for bioimaging. Erbium oxides are also used as gate dielectrics in semi conductor devices since it has a high dielectric constant (10-14) and a large band gap. Erbium is sometimes used as a coloring for glasses and erbium oxide can also be used as a burnable neutron poison for nuclear fuel.