Lanthanum oxide

Lanthanum oxide, also known as lanthana, chemical formula La2O3, is an inorganic

compound containing the rare earth element lanthanum and oxygen. It is used in
some ferroelectric materials, as a component of optical materials, and is a feedstock
for certain catalysts, among other uses.

Lanthanum(III) oxide

Names

IUPAC name

Lanthanum(III) oxide
Other names

Lanthanum sesquioxide
Lanthana

Identifiers

CAS Number ▪ 1312-81-8

3D model (JSmol) ▪ Interactive image

ChemSpider ▪ 2529886
▪ 133008

ECHA InfoCard 100.013.819

EC Number ▪ 215-200-5

PubChem CID ▪ 150906

RTECS number ▪ OE5330000

UNII ▪ 4QI5EL790W

CompTox ▪ DTXSID7051478
Dashboard (EPA)

InChI

SMILES

Properties
Chemical formula La2O3

Molar mass 325.809 g/mol

Appearance White powder, hygroscopic

Density 6.51 g/cm3, solid

Melting point 2,315 °C (4,199 °F; 2,588 K)

Boiling point 4,200 °C (7,590 °F; 4,470 K)

Solubility in Insoluble
water

Band gap 4.3 eV

Magnetic −78.0·10−6 cm3/mol
susceptibility (χ)

Structure
Crystal structure Hexagonal, hP5
Space group P-3m1, No. 164

Hazards

Main hazards Irritant

Safety data sheet External SDS

GHS pictograms

GHS Signal word Warning

GHS hazard H315, H319, H335
statements
GHS P261, P280, P301+310, P304+340, P305+351+338, P405, P501
precautionary
statements

NFPA
704 (fire diamond)

1
W
Flash point Non-flammable

Related compounds
Other anions Lanthanum(III) chloride
 Other cations Cerium(III) oxide
Scandium(III) oxide
Yttrium(III) oxide
Actinium(III) oxide
Related Lanthanum aluminium oxide,
compounds
LaSrCoO4
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard
state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).

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Infobox references

Properties

La2O3 powder

Lanthanum oxide is an odorless, white solid that is insoluble in water, but soluble in
dilute acid. Depending on the pH of the compound, different crystal structures can be
obtained. La2O3 is hygroscopic; under atmosphere, it absorbs moisture over time and
converts to lanthanum hydroxide. Lanthanum oxide has p-type semiconducting
properties and a band gap of approximately 5.8 eV.. Its average room temperature
resistivity is 10 kΩ·cm, which decreases with an increase in temperature. La2O3 has
the lowest lattice energy of the rare earth oxides, with very high dielectric constant, ε
= 27.
Structure
At low temperatures, La2O3 has an A-M2O3 hexagonal crystal structure. The La3+ metal
atoms are surrounded by a 7 coordinate group of O2−atoms, the oxygen ions are in an
octahedral shape around the metal atom and there is one oxygen ion above one of the
octahedral faces. On the other hand, at high temperatures lanthanum oxide converts
to a C-M2O3 cubic crystal structure. The La3+ ion is surrounded by six O2− ions in a
hexagonal configuration.
Elements obtained from lanthana
Several elements were discovered as a consequence of lengthy analysis and
decomposition of the ore gadolinite. As the ore was progressively analysed, the
residue was first given the label ceria, then lanthana, and subsequently yttria, erbia,
and terbia. In order of date discovered, the list of elements
includes cerium, lanthanum, erbium, terbium, yttrium, ytterbium, holmium, thulium, s
candium, praseodymium, neodymium and dysprosium. Several of these new elements
were either discovered or isolated by Carl Gustaf Mosander in the 1830s and 1840s.
Synthesis
Lanthanum oxide can be crystallized in several polymorphs.

To produce hexagonal La2O3, a 0.1 M solution of LaCl3 is sprayed onto a preheated

substrate, usually made of metal chalcogenides. The process can be viewed as
occurring in two steps – hydrolysis followed by dehydration:
2 LaCl3 + 3 H2O → La(OH)3 + 3 HCl
2 La(OH)3 → La2O3 + 3 H2O
An alternative route to obtaining hexagonal La2O3 involves precipitation of nominal
La(OH)3 from aqueous solution using a combination of 2.5% NH3 and the
surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate followed by heating and stirring for 24 hours at
80 °C:
2 LaCl3+ 3 H2O + 3 NH3 → La(OH)3 + 3 NH4Cl
Other routes include:

2 La2S3 + 3 CO2 → 2 La2O3 + 3 CS2

Reactions
Lanthanum oxide is used as an additive to develop certain ferroelectric materials,
such as La-doped Bi4Ti3O12 (BLT). Lanthanum oxide is used in optical materials; often
the optical glasses are doped with La2O3 to improve the glass' refractive index,
chemical durability, and mechanical strength.
3 B2O3 + La2O3 → 2 La(BO2)3
When this 1:3 reaction is mixed into a glass composite, the high molecular weight of
the lanthanum causes an increase of the homogeneous mixture of the melt which
leads to a lower melting point. The addition of the La2O3 to the glass melt leads to a
higher glass transition temperature from 658 °C to 679 °C. The addition also leads to a
higher density, microhardness, and refractive index of the glass.
Uses and applications
La2O3 is used to make optical glasses, to which this oxide confers increased density,
refractive index, and hardness. Together with oxides of tungsten, tantalum,
and thorium, La2O3 improves the resistance of the glass to attack by alkali. La2O3 is an
ingredient for the manufacture of piezoelectric and thermoelectric materials.
Automobile exhaust-gas converters contain La2O3. La2O3 is also used in X-ray imaging
intensifying screens, phosphors as well as dielectric and conductive ceramics. Gives
off bright glow.
La2O3 has been examined for the oxidative coupling of methane.
La2O3 films can be deposited by many different methods, including chemical vapor
disposition, atomic layer deposition, thermal oxidation, sputtering, and spray
pyrolysis. Depositions of these films occur in a temperature range of 250–450 °C.
Polycrystalline films are formed at 350 °C.
La2O3 tungsten electrodes are replacing thoriated tungsten electrodes in Gas tungsten
arc welding (TIG) due to safety concerns with thorium's radioactivity.
References
1. "Lanthanum Oxide". American Elements. Retrieved October 26, 2018.
2. Shang, G.; Peacock, P. W.; Robertson, J. (2004). "Stability and band offsets of nitrogenated
high-dielectric-constant gate oxides". Applied Physics Letters. 84 (1): 106–108.
Bibcode:2004ApPhL..84..106S. doi:10.1063/1.1638896.
3. Wells, A.F. (1984). Structural Inorganic Chemistry. Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 546.
4. Wyckoff, R. W.G. (1963). Crystal Structures: Inorganic Compounds RXn, RnMX2, RnMX3.
New York: Interscience Publishers.
5. Kale, S.S.; Jadhav, K.R.; Patil, P.S.; Gujar, T.P.; Lokhande, C.D. (2005). "Characterizations
of spray-deposited lanthanum oxide (La2O3) thin films". Materials Letters. 59 (24–25):
3007–3009. doi:10.1016/j.matlet.2005.02.091.
6. Vinogradova, N. N.; Dmitruk, L. N.; Petrova, O. B. (2004). "Glass Transition and
Crystallization of Glasses Based on Rare-Earth Borates". Glass Physics and Chemistry. 30:
1–5. doi:10.1023/B:GPAC.0000016391.83527.44.
7. Cao, J; Ji, H; Liu, J; Zheng, M; Chang, X; Ma, X; Zhang, A; Xu, Q (2005). "Controllable
syntheses of hexagonal and lamellar mesostructured lanthanum oxide". Materials
Letters. 59 (4): 408–411. doi:10.1016/j.matlet.2004.09.034.
8. O.V. Manoilova; et al. (2004). "Surface Acidity and Basicity of La2O3, LaOCl, and LaCl3
Characterized by IR Spectroscopy, TPD, and DFT Calculations". J. Phys. Chem.
B. 108 (40): 15770–15781. doi:10.1021/jp040311m.