Einsteinium(III) oxide explained

Einsteinium(III) oxide is an oxide of the synthetic actinide einsteinium which has the molecular formula Es₂O₃. It is a colourless solid.

Three modifications are known. The body-centered cubic form has lattice parameter a = 1076.6 ± 0.6 pm; this allows the ionic radius of the Es³⁺ ion to be calculated as 92.8 pm. The other two forms are monoclinic and hexagonal: the hexagonal form has the lanthanum(III) oxide structure.^[1]

Einsteinium(III) oxide can be obtained by annealing einsteinium(III) nitrate in sub-microgram quantities.^[2]

Further reading

• Book: Haire, Richard G.. Einsteinium. The Chemistry of the Actinide and Transactinide Elements. Lester R.. Morss. Norman M.. Edelstein. Jean. Fuger. 3rd. 2006. 3. Springer. Dordrecht, the Netherlands. 1577–1620. 10.1007/1-4020-3598-5_12. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100717154427/http://radchem.nevada.edu/classes/rdch710/files/einsteinium.pdf. 2010-07-17.

Notes and References

1. R. G. Haire, L. Eyring, in: Handbook on the Physics and Chemistry of Rare Earths, Vol. 18 Lanthanoids and Actinides Chemistry (hrsg. von K. A. Gscheidner, Jr., L. Eyring, G. R. Choppin, G. H. Lander), North-Holland, New York 1994, S. 414–505.
2. R. G. Haire, R. D. Baybarz: "Identification and Analysis of Einsteinium Sesquioxide by Electron Diffraction", in: Journal of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry, 1973, 35 (2), S. 489–496; .