Holmium(III) nitrate

Template:Chembox Holmium (III) nitrate is an inorganic compound, a salt of holmium and nitric acid with the chemical formula Ho(NO₃)₃. The compound forms yellowish crystals, dissolves in water, also forms crystalline hydrates.

Synthesis

Anhydrous salt is obtained by the action of nitrogen dioxide on holmium(III) oxide:

$\mathrm{𝟤}𝖧{𝗈}_{\mathrm{𝟤}}{𝖮}_{\mathrm{𝟥}}\mathsf{+}\mathrm{𝟫}{𝖭}_{\mathrm{𝟤}}{𝖮}_{\mathrm{𝟦}}\stackrel{150^{o}C}{\to }\mathrm{𝟦}𝖧𝗈\mathsf{(}𝖭{𝖮}_{\mathrm{𝟥}}{\mathsf{)}}_{\mathrm{𝟥}}\mathsf{+}\mathrm{𝟨}𝖭𝖮$

Effect of nitrogen dioxide on metallic holmium:

$𝖧𝗈\mathsf{+}\mathrm{𝟥}{𝖭}_{\mathrm{𝟤}}{𝖮}_{\mathrm{𝟦}}\stackrel{200^{o}C}{\to }𝖧𝗈\mathsf{(}𝖭{𝖮}_{\mathrm{𝟥}}{\mathsf{)}}_{\mathrm{𝟥}}\mathsf{+}\mathrm{𝟥}𝖭𝖮$

Reaction of holmium hydroxide and nitric acid:

$𝖧𝗈\mathsf{(}𝖮𝖧{\mathsf{)}}_{\mathrm{𝟥}}\mathsf{+}\mathrm{𝟥}𝖭𝖧{𝖮}_{\mathrm{𝟥}}\stackrel{150^{o}C}{\to }𝖧𝗈\mathsf{(}𝖭{𝖮}_{\mathrm{𝟥}}{\mathsf{)}}_{\mathrm{𝟥}}\mathsf{+}\mathrm{𝟥}{𝖧}_{\mathrm{𝟤}}𝖮$

Physical properties

Holmium(III) nitrate forms yellowish crystals.

Forms a crystalline hydrate of the composition Ho(NO₃)₃•5H₂O.

Soluble in water and ethanol.

Chemical properties

Hydrated holmitic nitrate thermally decomposes to form Template:Chem and decomposes to holmium oxide upon subsequent heating.

Application

The compound is used for the production of ceramics and glass.

Also used to produce metallic holmium and as a chemical reagent.