Thermal and Spectral Features of Yttrium and Heavy Lanthanide Complexes with 2,4-dimethoxybenzoic Acid

Abstract

The complexes of yttrium and heavy lanthanides with 2,4-dimethoxybenzoic acid of the formula: Ln(C₉H₉O₄)₃×nH₂O, where Ln=Tb(III), Dy(III), Ho(III), Er(III), Tm(III), Yb(III), Lu(III) and Y(III), n=2 for Tb(III), Dy(III), Ho(III), Er(III), Tm(III) and Y(III), and n=0 for Yb(III) and Lu(III), have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, themogravimetric studies, as well as X–ray and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The complexes have a colour typical of Ln ³⁺ salts (Tb, Dy, Tm, Yb, Lu, Y – white, Ho – cream, Er – pink). The carboxylate group in these complexes is a bidentate, chelating ligand. The compounds form crystals of various symmetry. 2,4-Dimethoxybenzoates of Yb(III) and Lu(III) are isostructural. 2,4-Dimethoxybenzoates of yttrium and heavy lanthanides decompose in various ways on heating in air to 1173 K. The hydrated complexes first lose water to form anhydrous salts and then decompose to the oxides of respective metals. The ytterbium and lutetium 2,4-dimethoxybenzoates decompose in one step to form Yb₂O₃ and Lu₂O₃.

The solubilities of the 2,4-dimethoxybenzoates of yttrium and heavy lanthanides in water and ethanol at 293 K are of the order of: ^10–3 and 10^–3 –10^–2 mol dm^–3, respectively. The magnetic moments for the complexes were determined over the range of 77–298 K. They obey the Curie–Weiss law. The results show that there is no influence of the ligand field on the 4f electrons of lanthanide ions.