Ytterbium(II) chloride
Encyclopedia
Ytterbium chloride (Yb
Cl2
) is an inorganic chemical compound
. It was first prepared in 1929 by W.K. Klemm and W. Schuth, by reduction of ytterbium(III) chloride, YbCl3, using hydrogen
.
Like other Yb(II) compounds and other low-valence rare earth compounds, it is a strong reducing agent. It is unstable in aqueous solution, reducing water to hydrogen gas.
Ytterbium
Ytterbium is a chemical element with the symbol Yb and atomic number 70. A soft silvery metallic element, ytterbium is a rare earth element of the lanthanide series and is found in the minerals gadolinite, monazite, and xenotime. The element is sometimes associated with yttrium or other related...
Cl2
Chlorine
Chlorine is the chemical element with atomic number 17 and symbol Cl. It is the second lightest halogen, found in the periodic table in group 17. The element forms diatomic molecules under standard conditions, called dichlorine...
) is an inorganic chemical compound
Chemical compound
A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...
. It was first prepared in 1929 by W.K. Klemm and W. Schuth, by reduction of ytterbium(III) chloride, YbCl3, using hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
.
- 2 YbCl3 + H2 → 2 YbCl2 + 2 HCl
Like other Yb(II) compounds and other low-valence rare earth compounds, it is a strong reducing agent. It is unstable in aqueous solution, reducing water to hydrogen gas.