Ytterbium(III) chloride

Ytterbium(III) chloride

Names
IUPAC name Ytterbium(III) chloride
Identifiers
CAS Number	19423-81-1 N
3D model (Jmol)	Interactive image
ChemSpider	55430 Y
ECHA InfoCard	100.030.715
InChI InChI=1S/3ClH.Yb/h3*1H;/q;;;+3/p-3 Y Key: CKLHRQNQYIJFFX-UHFFFAOYSA-K Y InChI=1/3ClH.Yb/h3*1H;/q;;;+3/p-3 Key: CKLHRQNQYIJFFX-DFZHHIFOAT
SMILES Cl[Yb](Cl)Cl
Properties
Chemical formula	YbCl3
Molar mass	279.40 g/mol
Appearance	White powder
Density	4.06 g/cm3 (solid)
Melting point	854 °C (1,569 °F; 1,127 K)
Boiling point	1,453 °C (2,647 °F; 1,726 K)
Solubility in water	0.17 g/mL (25 °C)
Structure
Crystal structure	Monoclinic, mS16
Space group	C12/m1, No. 12
Related compounds
Other anions	Ytterbium(III) oxide
Other cations	Terbium(III) chloride, Lutetium(III) chloride
Supplementary data page
Structure and properties	Refractive index (n), Dielectric constant (εr), etc.
Thermodynamic data	Phase behaviour solid–liquid–gas
Spectral data	UV, IR, NMR, MS
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
N  (what is YN ?)
Infobox references

Ytterbium(III) chloride (YbCl₃) is an inorganic chemical compound. It reacts with NiCl₂ to form a very effective catalyst for the reductive dehalogenation of aryl halides. It is poisonous if injected, and mildly toxic by ingestion. It is an experimental teratogen, known to irritate the skin and eyes. When heated to decomposition it emits toxic fumes of Cl⁻.

Ytterbium, a lanthanide series element, was discovered in 1878 by the Swiss chemist Jean-Charles Galissard de Marignac, who named the element after a town (Ytterby) in Sweden. The first synthesis of YbCl₃ in the literature was that of Jan Hoogschagen in 1946. YbCl₃ is now a commercially available source of Yb³⁺ ions and therefore of significant chemical interest.

The valence electron configuration of Yb⁺³ (from YbCl₃) is 4f¹³5s²5p⁶, which has crucial implications for the chemical behaviour of Yb⁺³. Also, the size of Yb⁺³ governs its catalytic behaviour and biological applications. For example, while both Ce⁺³ and Yb⁺³ have a single unpaired f electron, Ce⁺³ is much larger than Yb⁺³ because lanthanides become much smaller with increasing effective nuclear charge as a consequence of the f electrons not being as well shielded as d electrons. This behavior is known as the lanthanide contraction. The small size of Yb⁺³ produces fast catalytic behavior and an atomic radius (0.99 Å) comparable to many biologically important ions.

The gas-phase thermodynamic properties of this chemical are difficult to determine because the chemical can disproportionate to form [YbCl₆]⁻³ or dimerize. The Yb₂Cl₆ species was detected by electron impact (EI) mass spectrometry as (Yb₂Cl₅⁺). Additional complications in obtaining experimental data arise from the myriad of low-lying f-d and f-f electronic transitions. Despite these issues, the thermodynamic properties of YbCl₃ have been obtained and the C_3Vsymmetry group has been assigned based upon the four active infrared vibrations.