No abstract

The stability constants (log β) of 1:1 uranyl complexes with three N,O-mixed donor ligands (L = 2,2′-dipyridyl-6,6′-dicarboxylate, 3,3′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine-6,6′-dicarboxylate, and 1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-dicarboxylate, denoted as BiPDA, DmBiPDA, and PhenDA, respectively) in aqueous and DMSO/​20%(v)­H2O solutions were determined by spectrophotometry in 0.1 M tetraethylammonium perchlorate. The effects of ligand preorganization, steric hindrance, and solvation on the binding strength of U­(VI) with the three ligands were discussed. In aqueous solution, PhenDA forms stronger complexes with U­(VI) than BiPDA due to its well-preorganized structure. In DMSO/​20%(v)­H2O solution, in contrast, the strong solvation effect of DMSO on the ligands reduces the energy gap between the trans- and cis-conformations of BiPDA, resulting in log β­(UO2­(BiPDA)) > log β­(UO2­(PhenDA)). The steric hindrance of methyl groups on DmBiPDA makes the complex UO2­(DmBiPDA) of the lowest stability in both aqueous and DMSO/​20%(v)­H2O solutions. Single-crystal structural data of U­(VI) complexes with the three ligands indicate that the ligand coordinates with UO2 2+ via aromatic nitrogen atoms and carboxylate oxygen atoms. There is no clear correlation between the trend of the stability constants in solutions and the U–N/O bond lengths of the three crystal complexes. Nevertheless, DmBiPDA coordinates to UO2 2+ in a high-strain fashion as a result of the steric hindrance of methyl groups while BiPDA in a low-strain fashion, which is in accordance with the relative complexation strength of the two respective complexes. The results from this work help us understand the effect of ligand preorganization and solvation on the binding strength of actinides with multidentate N,O-mixed ligands in solid and solutions, which is of importance in designing ligands for the partitioning of actinides from nuclear wastes.

Herein, we report on a four-step mechanism for the spontaneous multi-scale supramolecular assembly (MSSA) process in the two-phase system concerning ionic liquid (IL). The complex ions, elementary building blocks (EBBs),...

Complexation of Am(III), Nd(III), and Eu(III) with a new heterocyclic nitrogen-donor ligand, 2,9-di(quinazolin-2-yl)-1,10-phenanthroline (denoted as BQPhen in this paper), was studied by thermodynamic measurements and theoretical computations. The stability constants of two successive complexes in dimethylformamide, ML(3+) and ML2(3+) where M stands for Nd, Eu, or Am while L stands for the BQPhen ligand, were determined by absorption spectrophotometry. The enthalpy of complexation was determined by microcalorimetry. Results show that BQPhen forms ten times stronger complexes with Am(III) than Eu(III) or Nd(III) under identical conditions, suggesting that BQPhen could be used as an efficient extractant for the separations of trivalent actinides from lanthanides. The higher binding strength of BQPhen towards Am(III) than Nd(III) or Eu(III) is mainly due to the more favourable enthalpy of complexation for Am(III)/BQPhen complexes, implying a higher degree of covalence in the Am(III)/BQPhen complexes than the lanthanide(III)/BQPhen complexes. The thermodynamic trend was corroborated with computational results and validated by solvent extraction experiments that demonstrated BQPhen preferably extracted Am(III) more than Eu(III), with a separation factor of about 10. Discussions have been made to compare BQPhen with other phenanthroline derivatives such as CyMe4-BTPhen, a bis-triazine-phenanthroline derivative that was reported in the literature. Data suggest that, under identical conditions, BQPhen would form stronger complexes with Am(III), Eu(III), and Nd(III) than CyMe4-BTPhen.

The complexation of lanthanides (Nd(3+) and Eu(3+)) with glutaroimide-dioxime (H2L), a cyclic imide dioxime ligand that has been found to form stable complexes with actinides (UO2(2+) and NpO2(+)) and transition metal ions (Fe(3+), Cu(2+), etc.), was studied by potentiometry, absorption spectrophotometry, luminescence spectroscopy, and microcalorimetry. Lanthanides form three successive complexes, M(HL)(2+), M(HL)L, and M(HL)2(+) (where M stands for Nd(3+)/Eu(3+) and HL(-) stands for the singly deprotonated ligand). The enthalpies of complexation, determined by microcalorimetry, show that the formation of these complexes is exothermic. The stability constants of Ln(3+)/H2L complexes are several orders of magnitude lower than that of the corresponding Fe(3+)/H2L complexes but are comparable with that of UO2(2+)/H2L complexes. A structure of Eu(3+)/H2L complex, identified by single-crystal X-ray diffractometry, shows that the ligand coordinates to Eu(3+) in a tridentate mode, via the two oxygen atoms of the oxime group and the nitrogen atom of the imide group. The relocation of protons of the oxime groups (-CH═N-OH) from the oxygen to the nitrogen atom, and the deprotonation of the imide group (-CH-NH-CH-) result in a conjugated system with delocalized electron density on the ligand (-O-N-C-N-C-N-O-) that forms strong complexes with the lanthanide ions.