Structure of rare-earth/alkali halide complexes

Vapour complex formation of rare-earth halides with alkali halides strongly increases the volatility of these compounds. We evaluate the structure taken by such complexes having the chemical formulas MRX4, M2RX5 and M3RX6, where X = F or Cl and typically M = Li or Na and R = La. The roles played by the two types of metal atom is investigated in MRX4 complexes by also taking M = K, Rb or Cs and R = Gd or Lu. The main predictions that emerge from our calculations are as follows: (i) in MRX4 a fourfold coordination of the rare-earth atom is accompanied by twofold or threefold coordination of the alkali atom, the energy difference in favour of the twofold-coordination state being about 0.3 eV in the case of the LiF complexing agent but even changing sign as the ionic radius of either the alkali or the halogen is increased; (ii) in M2RX5 a fivefold coordination of the rare-earth atom is energetically more stable than a fourfold one, by again not more than about 0.3 eV-, (iii) in M3RX6 the fivefold and sixfold coordinations of the rare-earth atom are energetically competitive; and (iv) in both M2RX5 and M3RX6 each coordination state can be realized in various forms that differ in detail but are close in energy. Bond fluctuations and disorder around the rare-earth atom can be expected to be a general feature at elevated temperatures, both in the vapour and in liquid rare-earth/alkali halide mixtures.