The compound has been known since at least 1899, when Muthman and Stützel reported its preparation from cerium sulfide and gaseous HBr.[2] Aqueous solutions of CeBr3 can be prepared from the reaction of Ce2(CO3)3·H2O with HBr. The product, CeBr3·H2O can be dehydrated by heating with NH4Br followed by sublimation of residual NH4Br. CeBr3 can be distilled at reduced pressure (~ 0.1 Pa) in a quartz ampoule at 875-880 °C.[3]
Like the related salt CeCl3, the bromide absorbs water on exposure to moist air. The compound melts congruently at 722 °C, and well ordered single crystals may be produced using standard crystal growth methods like Bridgman or Czochralski.
CeBr3-doped lanthanum bromide single crystals are known to exhibit superior scintillation properties for applications in the security, medical imaging, and geophysics detectors.[8][9]
^Mioduski, Tomasz; Gumiński, Cezary; Zeng, Dewen; Voigt, Heidelore (2013). "IUPAC-NIST Solubility Data Series. 94. Rare Earth Metal Iodides and Bromides in Water and Aqueous Systems. Part 2. Bromides". Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data. 42 (1). AIP Publishing: 013101. Bibcode:2013JPCRD..42a3101M. doi:10.1063/1.4766752. ISSN0047-2689.
^Rycerz, L.; Ingier-Stocka, E.; Berkani, M.; Gaune-Escard, M. (2007). "Thermodynamic Functions of Congruently Melting Compounds Formed in the CeBr3−KBr Binary System". Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data. 52 (4). American Chemical Society (ACS): 1209–1212. doi:10.1021/je600517u. ISSN0021-9568.
^van Loef, E. V. D.; Dorenbos, P.; van Eijk, C. W. E.; Krämer, K.; Güdel, H. U. (2001-09-03). "High-energy-resolution scintillator: Ce3+ activated LaBr3". Applied Physics Letters. 79 (10). AIP Publishing: 1573–1575. Bibcode:2001ApPhL..79.1573V. doi:10.1063/1.1385342. ISSN0003-6951.
^Menge, Peter R.; Gautier, G.; Iltis, A.; Rozsa, C.; Solovyev, V. (2007). "Performance of large lanthanum bromide scintillators". Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment. 579 (1). Elsevier BV: 6–10. Bibcode:2007NIMPA.579....6M. doi:10.1016/j.nima.2007.04.002. ISSN0168-9002.