On Electronegativities of the Rare-Earth Elements Based on Relative Valence Electron Binding Energies

The electronegativities of the rare-earth elements are proposed; these use average “relative valence electron binding energies” (ReVEBE) that are deduced from experimental spectroscopic data listed in the NIST Atomic Spectra Database. According to this concept, only the lowest-lying levels of the valence electron configurations are considered. These electronegativities were obtained as estimated binding energies based on a modified concept by Rahm, Zeng, and Hoffmann of ground-state average valence electron binding energies for the main group and transition metal elements. The modification presented here enables determination of the electronegativities of the rare-earth elements. The obtained values are in very good agreement with those proposed by Allen, Pauling, and Mulliken, as well as the optical electronegativities of the lanthanoid elements. This is remarkable since these concepts relate to different physical principles.