Complexes of light lanthanides with 2,4-dimethoxybenzoic acid

The complexes of light lanthanides with 2,4-dimethoxybenzoic acid of the formula: Ln(C9H9O4)3nH2O where Ln = La(III), Ce(III), Pr(III), Nd(III), Sm(III), Eu(III), Gd(IIII), and n = 3 for La(III), Gd(III), n = 2 for Sm(III), Eu(III), and n = 0 for Ce(III), Pr(III), Nd(III) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric studies and X-ray diffraction measurements. The complexes have colours typical for Ln 3+ ions (La, Ce, Eu, Gd-white, Sm-cream, Pr-green, Nd-violet). The carboxylate group in these complexes is a symmetrical, bidentate, chelating ligand. They are crystalline compounds characterized by various symmetry. On heating in air to 1273 K the 2,4-dimethoxybenzoates of the light lanthanides decompose in various ways. The hydrated complexes decompose in two or three stepswhile those of anhydrous ones only in one or two.The trihydrate of lanthanum 2,4-dimethoxybenzoate first dehydrates to form the anhydrous salt, which then decomposes to La2O3 via the intermediate formation of La2O2CO3. The hydrates of Sm(III), Eu(III), Gd(III) decompose in two stages. First, they dehydrate forming the anhydrous salts, which then decompose directly to the oxides of the respective metals. The anhydrous complexes of Ce(III), Pr(III) decompose in one step, while that of Nd(III) in two. The solubilities of the 2,4-dimethoxybenzoates of the light lanthanides in water and ethanol at 293 K are in the order of: 10 -3 mol dm -3 and 10 -4 –10 -3 mol dm -3 , respectively.