Author(s)

Basharat Want, Feroz Dar

Solid State Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India.

Single crystals of holmium oxalate heptahydrate are grown by gel diffusion method using organic agar gel as a medium of growth. The crystals grow in the agar gel with hexagonal morphology having well defined habit faces Powder X-ray diffraction results show that the crystals belong to monoclinic system bearing the space group P2₁/c with cell parameters; a = 12.197? , b = 11.714 , c = 6.479 , α = 90°, β = 120.12°, γ = 90°, V = 799.6? ³. Fourier transform Infrared spectrum of the crystals shows the presence of water and other associated functional groups. Thermogravimetric analysis support the presence of 7 H₂O molecules associated with holmium oxalate crystal lattice. The thermal decomposition in the nitrogen atmosphere leads to the formation of holmium oxide as the final product.

Holmium Oxalate Heptahydrate; Single Rystals; X-Ray Diffraction; Thermogravimetric Analysis

B. Want and F. Dar, "Growth and Characterization of Holmium Oxalate Heptahydrate Crystals," Journal of Crystallization Process and Technology, Vol. 2 No. 4, 2012, pp. 137-141. doi: 10.4236/jcpt.2012.24019.