Europium(III) iodide 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 ...

containing

europium Europium is a chemical element with the symbol Eu and atomic number 63. Europium is the most reactive lanthanide by far, having to be stored under an inert fluid to protect it from atmospheric oxygen or moisture. Europium is also the softest lanth ...

and

iodine Iodine is a chemical element with the symbol I and atomic number 53. The heaviest of the stable halogens, it exists as a semi-lustrous, non-metallic solid at standard conditions that melts to form a deep violet liquid at , and boils to a vi ...

with the chemical formula .

Preparation

Europium metal reacts directly with iodine to form europium(III) iodide: : Hydrated europium(III) iodide can be prepared dissolving

europium(III) oxide Europium(III) oxide (Eu2O3), is a chemical compound of europium and oxygen. It is widely used as a red or blue phosphor in television sets and fluorescent lamps, and as an activator for yttrium-based phosphors. It is also an agent for the manufact ...

or europium(III) carbonate in

hydroiodic acid Hydroiodic acid (or hydriodic acid) is an aqueous solution of hydrogen iodide (HI). It is a strong acid, one that is ionized completely in an aqueous solution. It is colorless. Concentrated solutions are usually 48% to 57% HI. Reactions Hyd ...

: : Europium powder reacts with iodine 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 ...

to form a THF

adduct An adduct (from the Latin ''adductus'', "drawn toward" alternatively, a contraction of "addition product") is a product of a direct addition of two or more distinct molecules, resulting in a single reaction product containing all atoms of all co ...

of europium(III) iodide: : The adduct can be formulated more simply as .

Structure

Europium(III) iodide adopts the

bismuth(III) iodide Bismuth(III) iodide is the inorganic compound with the formula Bi I3. This gray-black salt is the product of the reaction of bismuth and iodine, which once was of interest in qualitative inorganic analysis. Bismuth(III) iodide adopts a distinc ...

(BiI₃) crystal structure type, with

octahedral In geometry, an octahedron (plural: octahedra, octahedrons) is a polyhedron with eight faces. The term is most commonly used to refer to the regular octahedron, a Platonic solid composed of eight equilateral triangles, four of which meet at ea ...

coordination of each Eu³⁺ ion by 6

iodide An iodide ion is the ion I−. Compounds with iodine in formal oxidation state −1 are called iodides. In everyday life, iodide is most commonly encountered as a component of iodized salt, which many governments mandate. Worldwide, iodine defic ...

ions.

Reactivity

Europium(III) iodide is used as the starting material for two of the main ways of preparing europium(II) iodide: Reduction with

hydrogen Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, an ...

gas at 350 °C: :

Thermal decomposition Thermal decomposition, or thermolysis, is a chemical decomposition caused by heat. The decomposition temperature of a substance is the temperature at which the substance chemically decomposes. The reaction is usually endothermic as heat is req ...

at 200 °C, a

disproportionation In chemistry, disproportionation, sometimes called dismutation, is a redox reaction in which one compound of intermediate oxidation state converts to two compounds, one of higher and one of lower oxidation states. More generally, the term can b ...

reaction: : Europium(III) iodide nonahydrate, EuI₃·9H₂O, thermally decomposes to europium(II) iodide dihydrate, EuI₂·H₂O.

References

{{Lanthanide halides Europium(III) compounds Iodides Lanthanide halides