Lanthanum(III) chloride
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| Names | |||
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| Other names
Lanthanum trichloride
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| Identifiers | |||
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3D model (Jmol)
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| ChemSpider | |||
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.030.202 | ||
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PubChem CID
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| Properties | |||
| LaCl3 | |||
| Molar mass | 245.26 g/mol (anhydrous) 353.36 g/mol (hexahydrate) 371.37 g/mol (heptahydrate) |
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| Appearance | white odorless powder hygroscopic |
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| Density | 3.84 g/cm3 | ||
| Melting point | 858 °C (1,576 °F; 1,131 K) (anhydrous) | ||
| Boiling point | 1,000 °C (1,830 °F; 1,270 K) (anhydrous) | ||
| very soluble | |||
| Solubility | soluble in ethanol (heptahydrate) | ||
| Structure | |||
| hexagonal (UCl3 type), hP8 | |||
| P63/m, No. 176 | |||
| Tricapped trigonal prismatic,(nine-coordinate) | |||
| Related compounds | |||
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Other anions
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Lanthanum oxide | ||
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Other cations
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Cerium(III) chloride | ||
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Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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| Infobox references | |||
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Lanthanum chloride is the inorganic compound with the formula LaCl3. It is a common salt but is mainly used in research. It is a white solid that is highly soluble in water and alcohols.
The La3+ centre is 9-coordinate in the trichloride. The structure is similar to that for uranium trichloride.
It forms upon union of the elements, but a more commonly used method involves heating a mixture of lanthanum(III) oxide and ammonium chloride at 200-250 °C:
From the trichloride, one can produce the other trihalides by exchange. Reduction with potassium gives metallic lanthanum.
Lanthanum chloride does not have many applications. A possible application involves the precipitation of phosphate from solutions, e.g. in swimming pools to prevent algae growth. It has also shown use as a filter aid and an effective flocculent. Lanthanum chloride is also used in biochemical research to block the activity of divalent cation channels, mainly calcium channels. Doped with cerium, it is used as a scintillator material.
In organic synthesis, lanthanum trichloride functions as a mild Lewis acid for converting aldehydes to acetals.
The compound has been identified as a catalyst for the high pressure oxidative chlorination of methane to chloromethane with hydrochloric acid and oxygen.
This compound is also used in Gamma Detectors, is one of the smallest sized (massed) meters of the inorganic compounds used for Gamma Ray Detectors.
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