Preparation of a series of lanthanide borohydrides and their thermal decomposition to refractory lanthanide borides

• Published in: Journal of alloys and compounds Vol. 744; pp. 57 - 63
• Main Authors: Wegner, W., Jaroń, T., Grochala, W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 05-05-2018; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Alloys; Borides; Borohydrides; Composite materials; Diffraction; Hydrogen storage; Lanthanides; Powder diffraction; Rare-earth elements; Thermal decomposition; Trace elements; Borides; Hydrogen storage; Powder diffraction; Rare-earth elements; Borohydrides
• ISSN: 0925-8388; 1873-4669
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2018.02.020

Several solvent-free borohydrides of trivalent lanthanides (Nd–Lu) and their composites with LiBH4 have been targeted utilizing mechanochemical synthesis, and physicochemically characterized. Overall, the eight new borohydride phases are reported, which include the two polymorphs of the previously elusive Eu(BH4)3, completing the series of the known inorganic borohydrides of trivalent lanthanides. Thermolysis of borohydrides yielded refractory lanthanide borides; the attempts of purification of the post-thermolysis composites were unsuccessful.
•A series of rare earth homoleptic borohydrides has been prepared and characterized.•Eu(BH4)3 containing Eu(III) in borohydride environment has been finally achieved.•Thermolysis of RE(BH4)3 leads to REB4 at much lower temperature than currently used.•Purification of obtained borides needs further investigations.