Chlorides

Cerium chloride can be used as a starting point for the preparation of other cerium salts, such as the Lewis acid, cerium (III) trifluoromethanesulfonate, used for Friedel-Crafts acylations. It is also used itself as a Lewis acid, for example as a catalyst in Friedel-Crafts alkylation reactions. Luche reduction of alpha, beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds has become a popular method in organic synthesis, where CeCl3·7H2O is used in conjunction with sodium borohydride.

Cerium (III) chloride (CeCl3), also known as cerous chloride or cerium trichloride, is a compound of cerium and chlorine. It is a white hygroscopic solid; it rapidly absorbs water on exposure to moist air to form a hydrate, which appears to be of variable composition, though the heptahydrate CeCl3·7H2O is known. It is highly soluble in water, and (when anhydrous) it is soluble in ethanol and acetone.

Cerium shows +4 and +3 oxidation state. Cerium (IV) compounds were extensively used as convenient and effective one-electron oxidants for a variety of transformations. However, the most stable oxidation state of cerium is +3 and cerium chloride heptahydrate (CeCl3.7H2O) is the most common source of Ce+3. CeCl3.7H2O is a commercially Lanthanide reagent which is water tolerant, easy to handle and inexpensive.

Cerium (III) chloride has been used in organic synthesis. Due to this reason, the crucial oxophilic character of cerium (III) chloride is governing chemo-regio-, and stereoselectivity promoted transformations. Cerium chloride heptahydrate (CeCl3.7H2O) have received much attention due to its low toxicity energy saving, high purity delivering products, stability, green and efficient Lewis acid in modern organic synthesis.

Cerium chloride heptahydrate is often used to prepare cerium oxide nanoparticles by various methods. In one such technique; it reacts with sodium-oleate to form a cerium-oleate complex which can be further decomposed in hydrocarbon solvents to prepare cerium oxide nanoparticles.