Tantalate Explained

Tantalate should not be confused with tantalite.

A tantalate is a tantalum-containing anion or a salt of such an anion. A commercially important example is heptafluorotantalate (TaF₇²⁻) and its potassium salt (K₂TaF₇).

Many oxides of tantalum are called tantalates. They are viewed as derivatives of "tantalic acid", hypothetic compounds with the formulas Ta₂O₅·nH₂O^[1] or HTaO₃^[2]). Examples of such tantalates are lithium tantalate (LiTaO₃), lutetium tantalate (LuTaO₄), neodymium tantalate (NdTaO₄) and lead scandium tantalate (PST or Pb(Sc_xTa_1-x)O₃. Polyoxometallates containing tantalum provide examples of discrete tantalum oxides that exist in solution.

Notes and References

1. 10.1021/cm990160d. A Novel Tantalic Acid-Based Polymerizable Complex Route to LiTaO₃ Using Neither Alkoxides nor Chlorides of Tantalum. 1999. Szanics, Judit. Chemistry of Materials. 11. 2760. Kakihana. Masato. 10.
2. 10.1016/0025-5408(96)00050-5. Synthetic inorganic ion exchange materials XLI: Ion exchange properties of cubic tantalic acid (HTaO3). 1996. Inoue, Y. Materials Research Bulletin. 31. 691–698. 6.