Praseodymium(III) nitride is a binary

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 ...

praseodymium Praseodymium is a chemical element; it has symbol Pr and atomic number 59. It is the third member of the lanthanide series and is considered one of the rare-earth metals. It is a soft, silvery, malleable and ductile metal, valued for its magnetic ...

and

nitrogen Nitrogen is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a Nonmetal (chemistry), nonmetal and the lightest member of pnictogen, group 15 of the periodic table, often called the Pnictogen, pnictogens. ...

. Its chemical formula is . The compound forms black crystals, and reacts with water.

Preparation

Praseodymium(III) nitride can be prepared by the reaction of nitrogen and metallic praseodymium on heating: : It can also be prepared from the reaction of

ammonia Ammonia is an inorganic chemical compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the chemical formula, formula . A Binary compounds of hydrogen, stable binary hydride and the simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia is a colourless gas with a distinctive pu ...

and praseodymium metal on heating: :

Properties

Praseodymium(III) nitride forms black crystals of a

cubic system In crystallography, the cubic (or isometric) crystal system is a crystal system where the unit cell is in the shape of a cube. This is one of the most common and simplest shapes found in crystals and minerals. There are three main varieties of ...

. The

space group In mathematics, physics and chemistry, a space group is the symmetry group of a repeating pattern in space, usually in three dimensions. The elements of a space group (its symmetry operations) are the rigid transformations of the pattern that ...

is ''Fm''3''m'', with cell parameter a = 0.5165 nm, Z = 4, its structure similar to that of

sodium chloride Sodium chloride , commonly known as Salt#Edible salt, edible salt, is an ionic compound with the chemical formula NaCl, representing a 1:1 ratio of sodium and chloride ions. It is transparent or translucent, brittle, hygroscopic, and occurs a ...

(NaCl). The compound is readily hydrolyzed with water and reacts with acids.

Applications

The compound is used in high-end electric and semiconductor products, and as a raw material to produce phosphor. Also it is used as a magnetic material and sputtering target material.

References

{{Nitrides Nitrides Praseodymium(III) compounds Inorganic compounds Rock salt crystal structure