Preparation of a series of lanthanide borohydrides and their thermal decomposition to refractory lanthanide borides

Several solvent-free borohydrides of trivalent lanthanides (Nd-Lu) and their composites with LiBH4 have been targeted utilizing mechanochemical synthesis, and physicochemically characterized. Overall, the eight new borohydride phases are reported, which include the two polymorphs of the previously elusive Eu(BH4)3, completing the series of the known inorganic borohydrides of trivalent lanthanides. Thermolysis of borohydrides yielded refractory lanthanide borides; the attempts of purification of the post-thermolysis composites were unsuccessful.