Structure of trihydrated rare-earth acid diphosphates LnHP2O7·3H2O (Ln=La, Er)

In trihydrated lanthanum acid-diphosphates LnHP₂O₇·3H₂O, prepared from acid LnCl₃ and Na₄P₂O₇ solutions (pH=1), two crystal forms were obtained. Layered structures of two representative members of this family have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. In the case of orthorhombic LaHP₂O₇·3H₂O (type I), lanthanum cations are ninefold coordinated and diphosphate groups adopt a staggered (alternated) configuration. In the case of triclinic ErHP₂O₇·3H₂O (type II), erbium cations are eightfold coordinated and diphosphate groups adopt an eclipsed configuration. In agreement with Infrared (IR) spectroscopic data, a bended configuration for diphosphate groups has been deduced. In both structures, one-dimensional chains of edge-sharing rare-earth polyhedra are linked together by diphosphate groups to form the phosphate layers. In both diphosphates, PO₄ and HPO₄ environments have been identified by ³¹P MAS-NMR technique. In the two compounds, OH groups of HPO₄ tetrahedra point out of diphosphate planes interacting with adjacent layers. In La-diphosphate, the interaction between HPO₄ groups and water molecules of adjacent layers is favored; however, in Er-diphosphate, the interaction between phosphate acid groups of contiguous layers is produced. Based on structural information deduced, differences detected in IR and NMR spectra of two disphosphates are discussed.