Ce3+ and Yb3+ are colourless but show strong absorption in UV region. ...
Ans.
The answer to why a compound or an ion has color is related to the electronic
transitions. For example, in many organic molecules, the transitions between the highest occupied orbital (HOMO) and the lowest unoccupied orbital (LUMO) are of sufficiently low energy to be in the visible spectrum, whereas transitions between the other orbitals require more energy, and are in the UV range, so these transitions do not absorb visible light and therefore compounds are colorless.
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Ce3+ and Yb3+ are colourless but show strong absorption in UV region. ...
Explanation:
UV-Visible spectroscopy is a useful technique to study the electronic transitions in molecules. Ce3+ and Yb3+ are colorless because they do not show any visible color due to the absence of d-d transitions (in case of transition metals) or p-d transitions (in case of lanthanides) in their spectra. However, they show strong absorption in the UV region due to f-f transitions.
In Ce3+ and Yb3+, the electronic configuration of the outermost shell is 4f1 and 4f13, respectively. The f-orbitals of these elements are well-shielded by the 5s and 5p orbitals and do not participate in bonding. As a result, the f-electrons are largely localized and do not interact strongly with the ligands. This leads to weak crystal field splitting and no d-d or p-d transitions are observed.
On the other hand, f-f transitions are allowed in Ce3+ and Yb3+ because the f-orbitals have a large radial extent and can interact with the electric field of light. The energy required for f-f transitions falls in the UV region, hence the strong absorption in this region.
Conclusion:
Therefore, the correct answer is option B, i.e., f to d transition, as f-f transitions are allowed in Ce3+ and Yb3+ due to the large radial extent of the f-orbitals, and the energy required for these transitions falls in the UV region.
Ce3+ and Yb3+ are colourless but show strong absorption in UV region. ...
C