Berkelium(III) chloride explained

Berkelium(III) chloride also known as berkelium trichloride, is a chemical compound with the formula BkCl3. It is a water-soluble green salt with a melting point of 603 °C. This compound forms the hexahydrate, BkCl3·6H2O.

Preparation and reactions

This compound was first prepared in 1970 by reacting hydrogen chloride gas and berkelium(IV) oxide or berkelium(III) oxide at 520 °C:[1]

Bk2O3 + 6HCl → 2BkCl3 + 3H2O

Berkelium(III) chloride reacts with beryllocene to produce berkelocene(Bk(C5H5)3).[2] It also reacts with oxalic acid to produce berkelium oxalate. This reaction is used to purify this compound, by reacting the oxalate with hydrochloric acid.[3]

Structure

Anhydrous berkelium(III) chloride has a hexagonal crystal structure, is isostructural to uranium trichloride, and has the person symbol hP6. When heated it its melting point, it converts to an orthorhombic phase. However, the hexahydrate has a monoclinic crystal structure and is isostructural to americium trichloride hexahydrate with the lattice constants a = 966 pm, b = 654 pm and c = 797 pm.[4] This hexahydrate consists of BkCl2(OH2)6+ ions and Cl− ions.

Complexes

Caesium sodium berkelium chloride is known with the formula Cs2NaBkCl6 and is produced by the reaction of berkelium(III) hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, and caesium chloride.[5]

Notes and References

  1. J. R. Peterson . B. B. Cunningham . Crystal structures and lattice parameters of the compounds of berkelium—II: Berkelium trichloride . Journal of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry . 1968 . 3 . 3 . 823–828 . 10.1016/S0898-8838(08)60204-4 . en.
  2. Peter G. Laubereau . John H. Burns . Microchemical preparation of tricyclopentadienyl compounds of berkelium, californium, and some lanthanide elements . Inorg. Chem. . 1970 . 9 . 5 . 1091–1095 . 10.1021/ic50087a018 . en.
  3. J. R. Peterson . J. P. Young . D. D. Ensor . R. G. Haire . Absorption spectrophotometric and x-ray diffraction studies of the trichlorides of berkelium-249 and californium-249 . Inorg. Chem. . 1986 . 25 . 21 . 3779–3782 . 10.1021/ic00241a015 . en.
  4. John H. Burns . Joseph Richard Peterson . Crystal structures of americium trichloride hexahydrate and berkelium trichloride hexahydrate . Inorg. Chem. . 1971 . 10 . 1 . 147–151 . 10.1021/ic50095a029 . en.
  5. Peterson J. R. and Hobart D. E. "The Chemistry of Berkelium" in Harry Julius Emeléus (Ed.) Advances in inorganic chemistry and radiochemistry, Volume 28, Academic Press, 1984, pp. 29–64,

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