Chemistry:Promethium(III) chloride

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Promethium(III) chloride
Pm,61.jpg
Glowing powder mixture of promethium(III) chloride and zinc sulfide
UCl3 without caption.png
Crystal structure
Names
Other names
Promethium chloride; Promethium trichloride
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
EC Number
  • 237-420-0
Properties
Cl3Pm
Molar mass 251 g·mol−1
Density 4.19 g/cm3 (calc., XRD)[1]
Melting point 655 °C (1,211 °F; 928 K)[2]
Structure
Trigonal, hP8
P63/m, No. 176[1]
Related compounds
Other anions
Promethium(III) oxide
Other cations
Neodymium(III) chloride, Samarium(III) chloride
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
Infobox references
Tracking categories (test):

Promethium(III) chloride is a chemical compound of promethium and chlorine with the formula PmCl3. It is an ionic, water soluble, crystalline salt that glows in the dark with a pale blue or green light due to promethium's intense radioactivity.

Preparation

Promethium(III) chloride is obtained from promethium(III) oxide by heating it in a stream of dry HCl at 580 °C.[3]

Properties

Promethium(III) chloride is a purple solid with a melting point of 655 °C.[4] It crystallizes in the hexagonal crystal system (NdCl3 type) with the lattice parameters a = 739 pm and c = 421 pm with two formula units per unit cell and thus a calculated density of 4.19 g·cm−3.[5][6] When PmCl3 is heated in the presence of H2O, the pale pink colored promethium(III) oxychloride (PmOCl) is obtained.[5][7]

Applications

Promethium(III) chloride (with 147Pm) has been used to generate long-lasting glow in signal lights and buttons. This application relied on the unstable nature of promethium, which emitted beta radiation (electrons) with a half-life of several years. The electrons were absorbed by a phosphor, generating visible glow.[8] Unlike many other radioactive nuclides, promethium-147 does not emit alpha particles that would degrade the phosphor.[9]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Weigel, F.; Scherer, V. (1967). "Die Chemie des Promethiums". Radiochimica Acta 7. doi:10.1524/ract.1967.7.1.40. 
  2. Haynes, William M., ed (2011). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (92nd ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. p. 4.84. ISBN 1439855110. 
  3. Gmelins Handbuch der anorganischen Chemie, System No. 39, p. 61–62.
  4. Wiberg, Egon; Wiberg, Nils (2007). Holleman, Arnold F.. ed. Lehrbuch der anorganischen Chemie (102., stark umgearbeitete und verbesserte Auflage ed.). Berlin New York: Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 978-3-11-017770-1. 
  5. 5.0 5.1 Weigel: Die Chemie des Promethiums, p. 588–589.
  6. Gmelins Handbuch der anorganischen Chemie, System No. 39, p. 181.
  7. Gmelins Handbuch der anorganischen Chemie, System No. 39, p. 31.
  8. Haynes, William M., ed (2011). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (92nd ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. p. 4.28. ISBN 1439855110. 
  9. Lavrukhina, Avgusta Konstantinovna; Pozdnyakov, Aleksandr Aleksandrovich (1966) (in Russian). Аналитическая химия технеция, прометия, астатина и франция [Analytical Chemistry of Technetium, Promethium, Astatine, and Francium]. Nauka. p. 118.