Near infrared study of aqueous lanthanide perchlorates

The near infrared spectra of water in aqueous solutions of La(ClO₄)₃, Pr(ClO₄)₃, Nd(ClO₄)₃, Gd(ClO₄)₃, Er(ClO₄)₃, Yb(ClO₄)₃, Lu(ClO₄)₃, and NaClO₄ have been measured in the concentration range from 0.3 to 2.5 mol-dm^–3, at 25°C. The relative contents of free OH groups in the 1.0, 1.6, and 2.2M solutions have been calculated from extinction coefficients for water at 1160 nm. They increase with increasing salt concentration and are greater in solutions of the lighter lanthanide perchlorates at any fixed molarity. The results are discussed in terms of the stoichiometry and structure of hydrated cations of trivalent lanthanides.