Europium(II) chloride is an
inorganic compound
An inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bondsthat is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as ''inorganic chemistry''.
Inorgan ...
with a chemical formula EuCl
2. When it is irradiated by ultraviolet light, it has bright blue fluorescence.
Preparation
Europium dichloride can be produced by reducing
europium trichloride with
hydrogen gas
Hydrogen is a chemical element; it has symbol H and atomic number 1. It is the lightest and most abundant chemical element in the universe, constituting about 75% of all normal matter. Under standard conditions, hydrogen is a gas of diatomi ...
at high temperature:
[Klemm, Wilhelm; Doll, Walter. Measurements on the bivalent and the quadrivalent compounds of the rare earths. VI. The halides of bivalent europium. ''Zeitschrift für Anorganische und Allgemeine Chemie'', 1939. 241: 233–238. .]
: 2 EuCl
3 + H
2 → 2 EuCl
2 + 2 HCl
If dry
europium trichloride reacts with
lithium borohydride
Lithium borohydride (LiBH4) is a borohydride and known in organic synthesis as a reducing agent for esters. Although less common than the related sodium borohydride, the lithium salt offers some advantages, being a stronger reducing agent and ...
in
THF
Tetrahydrofuran (THF), or oxolane, is an organic compound with the formula (CH2)4O. The compound is classified as heterocyclic compound, specifically a cyclic ether. It is a colorless, water-miscible organic liquid with low viscosity. It is ma ...
, it can also produce europium dichloride:
: 2 EuCl
3 + 2 LiBH
4 → 2 EuCl
2 + 2 LiCl + H
2↑ + B
2H
6↑
Properties
Europium dichloride can form yellow ammonia complexes:EuCl
2•8NH
3, and can dissolve to pale yellowish EuCl
2•NH
3.
Europium dichloride can react with
europium hydride at 120-bar
H2, producing
EuClH that fluoresces green.
References
{{Lanthanide halides
Europium(II) compounds
Chlorides
Lanthanide halides