Compounds of anhydrous neodymium halides with trialkyl phosphates

Interaction has been studied of neodymium halogenides with trialkylphosphates (tributylphosphate-TBP, triethylphosphate-TEP, and trimethylphosphate-TMP); the composition and properties of the synthesized compounds have been studied. Elemental analysis shows that, irrespective of the initial halogenide and trialkylphosphate, the isolated compounds have composition of alkoxyphosphate complexes, Nd[PO2(OR)2]3, where R is CH3-, C2H5-, or C4H9-. Infrared absorption spectra of the isolated solid complexes differ essentially from the spectra of the initial solutions. The observed differences indicate that in solid compounds the character of the bond between the organophosphorus ligand and metal changes: the bond is formed with a participation of not only the oxygen of phosphoryl group but the oxygen of the alkoxygroup as well. The results of thermographic analysis have shown that methoxyphosphate compounds of neodymium begin to decompose at 110-120 deg C, ethoxyphosphate at 130-140 deg C, and butoxyphosphate at 220-230 deg C