Formula YCl3 Boiling point 1,507 °C Density 2.67 g/cm³ | Molar mass 195.26 g/mol Melting point 721 °C Appearance white solid | |
 | ||
Yttrium(III) chloride is an inorganic compound of yttrium and chloride. It exists in two forms, the hydrate (YCl3(H2O)6) and an anhydrous form (YCl3). Both are colourless solids that are highly soluble in water, and deliquescent.
Contents
Structure
Solid YCl3 adopts with cubic close packed chloride ions and yttrium ions filling one third of the octahedral holes and the resulting YCl6 octahedra sharing three edges with adjacent octahedra give a layer structure. This structure is shared by a range of compounds notably AlCl3.
Preparation and reactions
YCl3 is often prepared by the "ammonium chloride route," starting from either Y2O3 or hydrated chloride or oxychloride. or YCl3·6H2O. These methods produce (NH4)2[YCl5]:
The pentachloride decomposes thermally according to the following equation:
The thermolysis reaction proceeds via the intermediacy of (NH4)[Y2Cl7].
Treating Y2O3 with aqueous HCl produces hydrated chloride (YCl3·6H2O). This salt cannot be rendered anhydrous by heating. Instead one obtains an oxychloride.