Dysprosium(III) nitrate is an
inorganic compound
In chemistry, an inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bonds, that is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as '' inorganic chemist ...
, a salt of
dysprosium
Dysprosium is the chemical element with the symbol Dy and atomic number 66. It is a rare-earth element in the lanthanide series with a metallic silver luster. Dysprosium is never found in nature as a free element, though, like other lanthanides, it ...
and
nitric acid
Nitric acid is the inorganic compound with the formula . It is a highly corrosive mineral acid. The compound is colorless, but older samples tend to be yellow cast due to decomposition into oxides of nitrogen. Most commercially available nitri ...
with the chemical formula Dy(NO
3)
3. The compound forms yellowish crystals, dissolves in water, forms a crystalline hydrate.
Synthesis
Anhydrous salt is obtained by the action of
nitrogen dioxide on
dysprosium(III) oxide:
::
The action of
nitrogen dioxide on metallic dysprosium:
::
Physical properties
Dysprosium(III) nitrate forms yellowish crystals.
The anhydrous nitrate forms a crystalline hydrate in wet air with the ideal composition of , which melts in its own
crystallization water at 88.6 °C.
All hydrates (anhydrous, pentahydrate, and hexahydrate) are soluble in
water
Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a ...
and
ethanol
Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl ...
,
hygroscopic
Hygroscopy is the phenomenon of attracting and holding water molecules via either absorption or adsorption from the surrounding environment, which is usually at normal or room temperature. If water molecules become suspended among the substance ...
.
Chemical properties
Hydrated dysprosium nitrate thermally decomposes to form , and further heating produces
dysprosium oxide
Dysprosium oxide (Dy2O3) is a sesquioxide compound of the rare earth metal dysprosium. It is a pastel yellowish-greenish, slightly hygroscopic powder having specialized uses in ceramics, glass, phosphors, lasers, as a Faraday rotator and dysprosium ...
.
Application
Dysprosium(III) nitrate is used as a catalyst.
References
{{Nitrates
Dysprosium compounds
Nitrates