Materials Data on CeF3 by Materials Project
CeF3 crystallizes in the hexagonal P6_322 space group. The structure is three-dimensional. Ce3+ is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to twelve F1- atoms. There are a spread of Ce–F bond distances ranging from 2.37–2.94 Å. There are three inequivalent F1- sites. In the first F1- site, F1- is bonded in a trigonal planar geometry to three equivalent Ce3+ atoms. In the second F1- site, F1- is bonded in a 1-coordinate geometry to four equivalent Ce3+ and one F1- atom. The F–F bond length is 2.54 Å. In the third F1- site, F1- is bonded to six equivalent Ce3+ and six equivalent F1- atoms to form face-sharing FCe6F6 cuboctahedra.