Isosaccharinic acid, a major final product of cellulose
degradation
under highly alkaline cement porewater conditions, is known to increase
the mobility of actinides via strong complex formation. In this study,
the formation of Am(III) complexes with α-d-isosaccharinate
(ISA) was studied in terms of thermodynamics and coordination structures
by combining spectrophotometry, time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy
(TRLFS), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The formation
constants of the Am(III)–ISA complexes were determined by absorption
spectroscopy at temperatures in the range of 15–70 °C.
The measured reaction enthalpy and entropy changes indicate that the
formation of a 1:1 Am(III)–ISA complex is driven by an increase
in entropy. By contrast, the 1:2 complex formation is exothermic with
a much less increase in entropy. DFT calculations predict that C2-
and C4-hydroxyl groups, along with the carboxyl group, participate
in the tridentate chelate binding of the primary ISA. The thermodynamic,
TRLFS, and DFT results collectively suggest the tridentate binding
of the primary ISA to Am(III) via a carboxylate and C2- and C4-hydroxyl
groups in the protonated state and reduced dentate binding of the
secondary ISA, such as bidentate binding, forming a four-membered
ring structure via the carboxylate group.