Spectroscopic and Thermal Studies of Rare Earth Element 4-Methylphthalates

Complexes of lanthanide(III) (La-Lu) and Y(III) with 4-methylphthalic acid were prepared and their IR spectra, solubility in water at 295 K and thermal decomposition were investigated. Rare earth complexes were obtained as solids with a 2:3 ratio of metal to organic ligand. COO^– groups in the prepared complexes act as bidentate chelating and bidentate bridging. During heating they are dehydrated in one (La-Tm) or twosteps (Yb, Lu and Y) and then decompose to the oxides Ln₂O₃, CeO₂, Pr₆O₁₁ and Tb₄O₇. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.