Preparation of new heteronuclear (NH4)RE[FeII(CN)6]·nH2O complexes (RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy, Y, Er, Lu) and their low-temperature decomposition for perovskite-type oxide

New heteronuclear (NH4)REIII[FeII(CN)6]·nH2O complexes (RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy, Y, Er, Lu) were synthesized and their thermal decomposition products were investigated. The crystal structure of (NH4)RE[FeII(CN)6]·nH2O would be a hexagonal unit cell (space group: P63/m), which was the same as that of La[FeIII(CN)6]·5H2O. The hydration number n = 4 was estimated by TG results for all the RE complexes. The lattice constants depended on the ionic radius of the RE3+ ion for the heteronuclear complexes. The single phase of the perovskite type materials was directly obtained by decomposition of the heteronuclear complexes for RE = La, Pr, Nd, Sm, and Gd. A mixture of CeO2 and Fe2O3 was formed for RE = Ce because of its oxidation to Ce4+. In the case of RE = Dy, Y, Er, and Lu complexes, the perovskite type materials formed at higher temperature via. mixed oxides such as RE2O3 and RE4Fe5O13 due to the small RE3+ ionic radius.