Erbium(III) acetate is the
acetate
An acetate is a salt (chemistry), salt formed by the combination of acetic acid with a base (e.g. Alkali metal, alkaline, Alkaline earth metal, earthy, Transition metal, metallic, nonmetallic or radical Radical (chemistry), base). "Acetate" als ...
salt of
erbium, with the proposed chemical formula of Er(CH
3COO)
3. It can be used to synthesize some optical materials.
Physical properties
The tetrahydrate of erbium(III) acetate is thermally decomposed at 90 °C, giving a proposed anhydride:
: Er(CH
3COO)
3·4H
2O → Er(CH
3COO)
3 + 4 H
2O
Continued heating to 310 °C will form
ketene:
: Er(CH
3COO)
3 → Er(OH)(CH
3COO)
2 + CH
2=C=O
At 350 °C, the proposed Er(OH)(CH
3COO)
2 loses
acetic acid
Acetic acid , systematically named ethanoic acid , is an acidic, colourless liquid and organic compound with the chemical formula (also written as , , or ). Vinegar is at least 4% acetic acid by volume, making acetic acid the main component ...
to yield a material of the formula ErOCH
3COO, forming Er
2O
2CO
3 at 390 °C, finally obtaining
Er2O3 at 590 °C.
References
{{Acetates
Erbium compounds
Acetates