The bond-valence method, especially the valence-sum rule, is very useful for checking if the structures formed by trivalent lanthanides are correct. In this work bond-valence parameters (Rij), which connect bond valences and bond lengths, have been computed for a large number of bonds taken from the Cambridge Structural Database, Version 5.24 (2002) [Allen (2002). Acta Cryst. B58, 380-388]. The calculated values of bond-valence parameters for metal-organic compounds decrease with an increase in lanthanide atomic number; the Rij values are also smaller than bond-valence parameters calculated for inorganic compounds. A summary of bond-valence sums calculated for Rij given in this work and reported in the literature, and a functional correlation between lanthanide-oxygen distances and coordination number are presented.

The bond-valence parameters (R(ij)), which connect bond valences and bond lengths, have been computed for lanthanide-nitrogen bonds. It has been found that values of bond-valence parameters decrease with increasing lanthanide atomic number in coordination compounds, and that they are smaller than the R(ij) parameters of inorganic compounds. As expected, the lanthanide-nitrogen bond-valence parameters are larger than lanthanide-oxygen bond-valence parameters. There are no obvious dependencies between the number of N atoms in the coordination sphere and the bond-valence parameter value.

Ln-O and Ln-N bond-valence parameters have been computed in coordination complexes for lanthanides (Ln) at oxidation states other than +3 (Ce(IV), Sm(II), Eu(II) and Yb(II)). Moreover, Ln-Cl, Ln-S and Ln-C(pi-bonded) bond-valence parameters are presented, as calculated for coordination compounds. In general, the bond-valence parameters decrease in the order Ln-O > Ln-C > Ln-N > Ln-Cl > Ln-S. It has been found that the values of bond-valence parameters decrease with increasing lanthanide atomic number for coordination compounds. As expected, the values of lanthanide-oxygen and lanthanide-nitrogen bond-valence parameters diminish with increasing lanthanide oxidation state. Several examples are given where the total valence of the lanthanide ion is apparently incorrectly assigned, as well as cases where bond-valence method calculations confirm the doubtful oxidation state assignment.