Structural reinvestigation of the photoluminescent complex [NdCl2(H2O)6]Cl

Abstract

The structure of the photoluminescent compound hexaaquadichloridoneodymium(III) chloride has been redetermined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data at 100 K, with the aim of providing an accurate structural model for the bulk crystalline material. The crystal structure may be described as a network of [NdCl2(H2O)6]+cations with distorted square-antiprism geometry around the NdIIIcentre. The NdIIIcation and the nonbonded Cl−anion are both located on twofold symmetry axes. The crystal packing consists of three different neodymium pairs linked by a three-dimensional network of O—H...Cl intermolecular interactions. The pair distribution function (PDF) calculated from the experimentally determined structure is used for the discussion of the local structure.