Gadolinium(III) chloride

Gadolinium(III) chloride
Names
	IUPAC name Gadolinium(III) chloride
	Other names Gadolinium trichloride; Gadolinium chloride
Identifiers
CAS Number	10138-52-0 ; 19423-81-5 (hydrate) ; 13450-84-5 (hexahydrate) ;
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
ChEBI	CHEBI:37288 ;
ChEMBL	ChEMBL1697696 ;
ChemSpider	55406 ;
ECHA InfoCard	100.030.338
PubChem CID	61486;
UNII	P7082WY76D ;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID2044761 ;
	InChI InChI=1S/3ClH.Gd/h31H;/q;;;+3/p-3 Key: MEANOSLIBWSCIT-UHFFFAOYSA-K ; InChI=1/3ClH.Gd/h31H;/q;;;+3/p-3 Key: MEANOSLIBWSCIT-DFZHHIFOAP;
	SMILES Cl[Gd](Cl)Cl;
Properties
Chemical formula	GdCl3
Molar mass	263.61 g/mol
Appearance	white crystals; hygroscopic
Density	4.52 g/cm3
Melting point	609 °C (1,128 °F; 882 K)
Boiling point	1,580 °C (2,880 °F; 1,850 K)
Solubility in water	94.65 g/100mL, 25°C
Magnetic susceptibility (χ)	+27,930·10−6 cm3/mol
Structure
Crystal structure	hexagonal, hP8
Space group	P63/m, No. 176
Related compounds
Other anions	Gadolinium(III) fluoride; Gadolinium(III) bromide; Gadolinium(III) oxide
Other cations	Europium(III) chloride; Terbium(III) chloride
	Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). verify (what is ?) Infobox references

Gadolinium(III) chloride, also known as gadolinium trichloride, is GdCl₃. It is a colorless, hygroscopic, water-soluble salt. The hexahydrate GdCl₃∙6H₂O is commonly encountered and is sometimes also called gadolinium trichloride. Gd³⁺ species are of special interest because the ion has the maximum number of unpaired spins possible, at least for known elements. With seven valence electrons and seven available f-orbitals, all seven electrons are unpaired and symmetrically arranged around the metal. The high magnetism and high symmetry combine to make Gd³⁺ a useful component in NMR spectroscopy and MRI.