Gadolinium(III) Chloride - Preparation

Preparation

GdCl3 is usually prepared by the "ammonium chloride" route, which involves the initial synthesis of (NH4)2. This material can be prepared from the common starting materials at reaction temperatures of 230 °C from gadolinium oxide:

10 NH4Cl + Gd2O3 → 2 (NH4)2 + 6 NH3 + 3 H2O

from hydrated gadolinium chloride:

4 NH4Cl + 2 GdCl3∙6H2O → 2 (NH4)2 + 12 H2O

from gadolinium metal:

10 NH4Cl + 2 Gd → 2 (NH4)2 + 6 NH3 + 3 H2

In the second step the pentachloride is decomposed at 300 °C:

2 (NH4)2 → {NH4 + 3NH4Cl}
{NH4 + 3 NH4Cl} → 2 GdCl3 + 4 NH4Cl

The ammonium chloride route is more popular and less expensive than other methods. GdCl3 can, however, also be synthesized by the reaction of solid Gd at 600 °C in a flowing stream of HCl.

Gd + 3 HCl → GdCl3 + 3/2 H2

Gadolinium(III) chloride also forms a hexahydrate, GdCl3∙6H2O. The hexahydrate is prepared by gadolinium(III) oxide (or chloride) in concentrated HCl followed by evaporation.

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