Heterometallic nickel(II) samarium(III) diethylenetriaminepentaacetate, a starting material for the preparation of samarium nickelate films

A reaction of samarium oxide, nickel oxocarbonate, and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (H₅DTPA) taken in stoichiometric proportions in water gave SmNiDTPA · 10H₂O as a glassy solid. The formation of this heterometallic complex was confirmed by data from elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and X-ray fluorescence analysis. An aqueous solution of the complex was used to deposit SmNiO₃ films onto a single-crystal SrTiO₃(001) substrate. The SmNiO₃ phase in films obtained upon 3-h annealing at 500°C was identified by powder X-ray diffraction. Films deposited from a solution of an equimolar mixture of monometallic samarium and nickel diethylenetriaminepentaacetates contained no samarium nickelate.