Dimers and chains in lanthanide acetate-chloride hydrates [M(CH3COO)2(H2O)3]Cl (M  Ce-Lu, Y) and [M(CH3COO)(H2O)6]Cl2 · H2O (M  La-Sm): a survey of their synthesis, crystal chemistry and thermal decomposition

Two types of lanthanide- acetate-chloride hydrates, [M(CH₃COO)(H₂O)₆]Cl₂ · H₂O (M  La-Sm) and [M(CH₃COO)₂(H₂O)₃]Cl (M  Ce-Lu, Y), are obtained by the reaction of the chloride hydrates MCl₃ · xH₂O (x = 7, 6) and the oxychlorides MOCl respectively with and in acetic acid (solution). The first compound type contains cationic dimers ^o_∞{[M(CH₃COO)(H₂O)₆]₂}⁴⁺ and is therefore called “type 0” (0 for zero dimensional). The characteristic structural feature of the latter is a cationic chain ¹_∞[M(CH₃COO)₂(H₂O)₃]⁺; it is a “type 1” compound (1 for one dimensional). All compounds were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (Guinier method) and their thermal behaviour was investigated by thermal analysis.