Reactions of rare earth acetate hydrates in glycols at high temperatures

The reaction of rare earth acetate hydrate in ethylene glycol at 300 degree s C yielded two novel crystalline products, one from La-Gd and the other fr om Tb-Lu and Y. IR and NMR spectra of these products suggested the presence of both acetate groups and ethylene glycol moieties, and it was concluded that these products are ethylene glycol complexes of rare earth acetate (hy droxide) oxide. On the other hand, the reaction of rare earth acetate hydra te in other glycols such as 1,3-propanediol and 1,4-butanediol yielded rare earth diacetate hydroxide, two morphs of rare earth acetate oxide and rare earth acetate dihydroxide, depending on the ionic size of rare earth eleme nt, but the glycol complexes were not formed. In all cases, acetate groups of rare earth acetate were not completely eliminated from the coordination sites of the rare earth element by the reaction in glycols but the reaction in ethylene glycol could liberate the acetate groups more easily than othe r glycols because of high coordination ability of ethylene glycol. (C) 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers.