Is gluconate a good model for isosaccharinate in uranyl(VI) chemistry? A DFT study

The geometries, relative energies and spectroscopic properties of a range of α-isosaccharinate complexes of uranyl(VI) are studied computationally using ground state and time-dependent density functional theory. The effect of pH is accommodated by varying the number of water and hydroxide ligands accompanying isosaccharinate in the equatorial plane of the uranyl unit. For 1 : 1 complexes, the calculated uranyl ν(asym) stretching frequency decreases as pH increases, in agreement with previous experimental data. Three different isosaccharinate chelating modes are studied. Their relative energies are found to be pH dependent, although the energetic differences between them are not sufficient to exclude the possibility of multiple speciation. At higher pH, the uranyl-ligand interactions are dominated more by the equatorial OH(-) than by the organic ligands. Calculated electronic excitation energies support experiment in finding the lowest energy transitions to be ligand → metal charge transfer. (13)C NMR chemical shifts are calculated for the coordinated isosaccharinate in the high pH mimics, and show good agreement with experimental data, supporting the experimental conclusion that the five-membered chelate ring is favoured at high pH. The effect of increasing the isosaccharinate concentration is modelled by calculating 1 : 2 and 1 : 3 uranyl : α-isosaccharinate complexes. Comparison of the results of the present study with those from our closely related investigation of uranyl(VI)-D-gluconate complexes (Dalton Transactions 40 (2011) 11248) reveals strong similarities in structure, bonding, coordination geometry and electronic excitations, but also differences in ΔG for key ligand replacement reactions, suggesting that caution should be exercised when using gluconate as a thermodynamic model for isosaccharinate in uranyl(vi) chemistry.     

Effect of nitrate, perchlorate, and water on uranyl(VI) speciation in a room-temperature ionic liquid: a spectroscopic investigation

Room-temperature ionic liquids form potentially important solvents in novel nuclear waste reprocessing methods, and the solvation, speciation, and complexation behaviors of lanthanides and actinides in these solvents are of great current interest. In the study reported here, the coordination environment of uranyl(VI) in solutions of the room-temperature ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([EMIM][Tf(2)N]) containing perchlorate, tetrabutylammonium nitrate, and water was investigated using Raman, ATR-FTIR, and NMR spectroscopies in order to better understand the role played in uranyl(VI) solution chemistry in room-temperature ionic liquids by water and other small, weakly complexing ligands. The (2)H NMR chemical shift for water in a solution of uranyl perchlorate hexahydrate in [EMIM][Tf(2)N] appears at 6.52 ppm, indicating that water is coordinated to uranyl(VI). A broad ν(OH) stretching mode at 3370 cm(-1) in the ATR-FTIR spectrum shows that this coordinated water is engaged in hydrogen bonding with water molecules in a second coordination sphere. A significant upfield shift in the (2)H NMR signal for water and the appearance of distinct ν(as)(HOH) (at 3630 cm(-1)) and ν(s)(HOH) (at 3560 cm(-1)) vibrational bands in the ATR-FTIR spectra show that coordinated water is displaced by nitrate upon formation of the UO(2)(NO(3))(2) and UO(2)(NO(3))(3)(-) complexes. The Raman spectra indicate that perchlorate complexed to uranyl(VI) is also displaced by nitrate. Our results indicate that perchlorate and water, though weakly complexing ligands, do have a role in uranyl(VI) speciation in room-temperature ionic liquids and that Raman, infrared, and NMR spectroscopies are valuable additions to the suite of tools currently used to study the chemical behavior of uranyl(VI)-ligand complexes in these solvents.     

Uranyl complexation in fluorinated acids (HF, HBF4, HPF6, HTf2N): a combined experimental and theoretical study

The aim of this work is to characterize the complexation ability of F-, BF4-, PF6-, and Tf2N- toward uranyl ions in aqueous solution. These anions were chosen as they represent the anionic part of the most studied room-temperature ionic liquids. Time-resolved emission spectroscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy were used to retrieve structural data on the complexes formed. The results obtained were compared with computational data. Tf2N- does not complex uranyl, even at high concentration. Other fluorinated acids form inner-sphere complexes with U(VI), in a monodentate fashion in the case of BF4- and PF6-.     

The role of peripheral alkyl substituents: a theoretical study of substituted and unsubstituted uranyl isoamethyrin complexes

Relativistic density functional theory has been applied to the uranyl(VI) and uranyl(V) complexes of unsubstituted (1) and dodeca-alkyl-substituted (2) isoamethyrin (hexaphyrin(1.0.1.0.0.0)). The experimentally observed bent conformation in the uranyl(VI) complex of 2 (Sessler, J. L. et al. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2001, 40, 591) is reproduced accurately by the calculations. It is entirely due to the external alkyl substitutents; the unsubstituted complexes of 1 are planar. Complex geometry and stability are seen to be the result of two competing factors; aromatic stabilization favors a planar conformation of the macrocycle whereas the bending affords a much better fit between the cavity and the uranyl cation. The uranyl(VI) complex of 2 is more stable than that of 1 as a result; the trend is reversed for the larger uranyl(V) cation. An energy decomposition analysis shows that the differences between U(VI) and U(V) originate in the different capabilities of these cations for covalent and/or polarization interactions with the ligands rather than in sterical factors.     

Theoretical study of the structural properties of plutonium(IV) and (VI) complexes

The structural properties of several plutonium(IV) and (VI) complexes have been examined in the gaseous and aqueous phases using Kohn-Sham density functional theory calculations with scalar relativistic effective core potentials and the polarizable continuum solvation model. The aquo and nitrate complexes of PuO(2)(2+) and Pu(4+) were considered in addition to the aquo-chloro complexes of PuO(2)(2+). The nitrate and chloro- complexes formed with triphenylphosphine oxide (TPPO) and tributylphosphate (TBP) respectively were also studied. The structural parameters of the plutonyl complexes were compared to their uranyl and neptunyl analogues. The bond lengths and vibrational frequencies of the plutonyl complexes can generally be computed with sufficient accuracy with the pure PBE density functional with shorter bond lengths being predicted by the B3LYP functional. The structural parameters of the [PuO(2)Cl(2)L(2)] systems formed with TPPO and TBP as well as the aqueous [PuO(2)Cl(2)(H(2)O)(3)] complex are matched to previous experimental results. Overall, the inclusion of ligands in the equatorial region results in significant changes in the stretching frequency of the plutonyl group. The structural features of the plutonyl (VI) systems are rather similar to those of their 5f(0) uranyl and 5f(1) neptunyl counterparts. For the Pu(IV) aquo and nitrate complexes, the average of the calculated Pu-OH(2) and Pu-O(nitrate) bond lengths are generally within 0.04 ? of the reported experimental values. Overall Kohn-Sham DFT can be used successfully in predicting the structures of this diverse set of Pu(VI) and Pu(IV) complexes.     

Gas-phase coordination complexes of dipositive plutonyl, PuO2(2+): chemical diversity across the actinyl series

We report the first transmission of solvent-coordinated dipositive plutonyl ion, Pu(VI)O(2)(2+), from solution to the gas phase by electrospray ionization (ESI) of plutonyl solutions in water/acetone and water/acetonitrile. ESI of plutonyl and uranyl solutions produced the isolable gas-phase complexes, [An(VI)O(2)(CH(3)COCH(3))(4,5,6)](2+), [An(VI)O(2)(CH(3)COCH(3))(3)(H(2)O)](2+), and [An(VI)O(2)(CH(3)CN)(4)](2+); additional complex compositions were observed for uranyl. In accord with relative actinyl stabilities, U(VI)O(2)(2+) > Pu(VI)O(2)(2+) > Np(VI)O(2)(2+), the yields of plutonyl complexes were about an order of magnitude less than those of uranyl, and dipositive neptunyl complexes were not observed. Collision-induced dissociation (CID) of the dipositive coordination complexes in a quadrupole ion trap produced doubly- and singly-charged fragment ions; the fragmentation products reveal differences in underlying chemistries of plutonyl and uranyl, including the lower stability of Pu(VI) as compared with U(VI). Particularly notable was the distinctive CID fragment ion, [Pu(IV)(OH)(3)](+) from [Pu(VI)O(2)(CH(3)COCH(3))(6)](2+), where the plutonyl structure has been disrupted and the tetravalent plutonium hydroxide produced; this process was not observed for uranyl.     

Comparative study of uranyl(VI) and -(V) carbonato complexes in an aqueous solution

Electrochemical, complexation, and electronic properties of uranyl(VI) and -(V) carbonato complexes in an aqueous Na2CO3 solution have been investigated to define the appropriate conditions for preparing pure uranyl(V) samples and to understand the difference in coordination character between UO22+ and UO2+. Cyclic voltammetry using three different working electrodes of platinum, gold, and glassy carbon has suggested that the electrochemical reaction of uranyl(VI) carbonate species proceeds quasi-reversibly. Electrolysis of UO22+ has been performed in Na2CO3 solutions of more than 0.8 M with a limited pH range of 11.7 < pH < 12.0 using a platinum mesh electrode. It produces a high purity of the uranyl(V) carbonate solution, which has been confirmed to be stable for at least 2 weeks in a sealed glass cuvette. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements revealed the structural arrangement of uranyl(VI) and -(V) tricarbonato complexes, [UO2(CO3)3]n- [n = 4 for uranyl(VI), 5 for uranyl(V)]. The bond distances of U-Oax, U-Oeq, U-C, and U-Odist are determined to be 1.81, 2.44, 2.92, and 4.17 A for the uranyl(VI) complex and 1.91, 2.50, 2.93, and 4.23 A for the uranyl(V) complex, respectively. The validity of the structural parameters obtained from EXAFS has been supported by quantum chemical calculations for the uranyl(VI) complex. The uranium LI- and LIII-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectra have been interpreted in terms of electron transitions and multiple-scattering features.     

Predicting the redox properties of uranyl complexes using electronic structure calculations

A plethora of chemical reactions is redox driven processes. The conversion of toxic and highly soluble U(VI) complexes to nontoxic and insoluble U(IV) form are carried out through proton coupled electron transfer by iron containing cytochromes and mineral surfaces such as machinawite. This redox process takes place through the formation of U(V) species which is unstable and immediately undergo the disproportionation reaction. Thus, theoretical methods are extremely useful to understand the reduction process of U(VI) to U(V) species. We here have carried out the structures and reduction properties of several U(VI) to U(V) complexes using a variety of electronic structure methods. Due to the lack of experimental ionization energies for uranyl (UO₂(V)‐UO₂(VI)) couple, we have benchmarked the current and popularly used density functionals and cost effective ab initio methods against the experimental electron detachment energies of [UO₂F₄]^1‐/2‐ and [UO₂Cl₄]^1‐/2‐. We find that electron detachment energy of U(VI) predicted by RI‐MP2 level on the BP86 geometries correlate nicely with the experimental and CCSD(T) data. Based on our benchmark studies, we have predicted the structures and electron detachment energies of U(V) to U(VI) species for a series of uranium complexes at the RI‐MP2//BP86 level which are experimentally inaccessible till date. We find that the redox active molecular orbital is ligand centered for the oxidation of U(VI) species, where it is metal centered (primarily f‐orbital) for the oxidation of U(V) species. Finally, we have also calculated the detachment energies of a known uranyl [UO₂]¹⁺ complex whose X‐ray crystal structures of both oxidation states are available. The large bulky nature of the ligand stabilizing the uncommon U(V) species which cannot be routinely studied by present day CCSD(T) methods as the system size are more than 20–30 atoms. The success of our efficient computational strategy can be experimentally verified in the near future for the complex as the structures are stable in gas phase which can undergo oxidation.     

Electronic spectra of uranyl chloride complexes in acetone: a CASSCF/CASPT2 investigation

A theoretical study is presented of the electronic spectra of the complexes UO(2)Cl(2)ac(4), UO(2)Cl(2)ac(3), [UO(2)Cl(3)ac(2)](-) and [UO(2)Cl(3)ac](-) (ac = acetone) using perturbation theory based on a complete-active-space type wavefunction (CASSCF/CASPT2). Both scalar relativistic effects and spin-orbit coupling were included in the calculations. The calculated excitation energies and oscillator strength values have been compared to the experimental absorption spectrum for uranyl chloride complexes in acetone solution, for chloride-to-uranyl ratios between two and three. The main purpose of this work was to investigate the origin of the remarkable intensity increase observed in the lower part of the experimental absorption spectra, upon addition of chloride to uranyl complexes in acetone. The calculated excitation energies for the different complexes are similar and closely correspond to the experimental data. However, in none of the theoretical spectra, the high intensities observed in the lower part of the experimental spectrum are reproduced.     

Anhydrous photochemical uranyl(VI) reduction: unprecedented retention of equatorial coordination accompanying reversible axial oxo/alkoxide exchange

In a dramatic reversal of the normal trend of observed reactivity in uranyl(VI) coordination chemistry, an unprecedented retention of the normally labile equatorial coordination plane accompanies facile and reversible axial oxo/alkoxide exchange during both the photochemical reduction of cationic uranyl(VI) phosphine-oxide complexes with organic substrates and subsequent hydrolysis of the uranium(IV) alkoxide complexes to regenerate the uranyl(VI) starting complex.     

Disodium-1,8-dihydroxy-naphthalene-3,6-disulphonate (chromotropic salt) as a reagent in inorganic analysis

Summary The compound disodium-1,8-dihydroxy-naphthalene-3,6-disulphonate (sodium salt of chromotropic acid) is employed as a colorimetric reagent for titanium. It is also known to produce coloured complexes with chromium(VI), vanadium and uranium. In the present paper the formation of colour with forty metallic ions has been studied qualitatively, in neutral as well as in alkaline and acidic media. It has been found that the reagent yields coloured complexes with mercury(I), tin(IV), platinum(IV), gold(III), tellurium(VI), molybdenum(VI), iron(III), aluminium(III), chromium(III), and uranyl(II) besides those recorded above.The colour reactions are particularly sensitive to uranyl(II), iron(III), mercury(I), tin(IV), gold(III) und molybdenum(VI).     

Uranium(VI) Sorption Complexes on Montmorillonite as a Function of Solution Chemistry

We have investigated the effect of changes in solution chemistry on the nature of uranyl sorption complexes on montmorillonite (SAz-1) at different surface coverages (1.43-53.6 μmol/g). Uranyl uptake onto SAz-1 between pH 3 and 7 was determined in both titration and batch-mode experiments. These pH values result in solutions that contain a range of monomeric and oligomeric aqueous uranyl species. Continuous-wave and time-resolved emission spectroscopies were used to investigate the nature of U(VI) sorbed to SAz-1. A discrete set of uranyl surface complexes has been identified over a wide range of pH values at these low to moderate coverages. For all samples, two surface complexes are detected with spectral characteristics commensurate with an inner-sphere complex and an exchange-site complex; the relative abundance of these two species is similar over these pH values at low coverage (1.43-2.00 μmol/g). In addition, surface species having spectra consistent with polymeric hydroxide-like sorption complexes form at the moderate coverages ( approximately 34-54 μmol/g), increasing in abundance as the capacity of the amphoteric surface sites is exceeded. Furthermore, a species with spectral characteristics anticipated for an outer-sphere surface complex is observed for wet paste samples at low pH (3.7-4.4) and both low ( approximately 2 μmol/g) and moderate ( approximately 40 μmol/g) coverage. There are only subtle differences in the nature of sorption complexes formed at different pH values but similar coverages, despite markedly different uranyl speciation in solution. These results indicate that the speciation in the solution has minimal influence on the nature of the sorption complex under these experimental conditions. The primary control on the nature and abundance of the different uranyl sorption complexes appears to be the relative abundance and reactivity of the different sorption sites. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

Preparation and characterizations of new U(IV) and U(VI) complexes with carboxylate ligands

The synthesis and characterization of some uranyl(VI) complexes containing glycolate (gly = CH₂OHCOO⁻) and methoxyacetate (MeOAc = CH₃OCH₂COO⁻) ligands with metal:ligand ratios of 1:1 and 1:2 are reported. In addition, new stable uranium(IV) complexes containing the same ligands, or the oxydiacetate (oda = ⁻OOCCH₂OCH₂COO⁻) anion, have been prepared by photolysing aqueous solutions of uranyl(VI) nitrate in the presence of an excess of ligand. The possible structures of these complexes are discussed on the basis of IR results. The photoproduction mechanism of U(IV) complexes is proposed from electronic and spectrofluorimetric spectra and quantum yield data.     

pH dependence of uranyl retention in a quartz/solution system: an XPS study

We have investigated the pH dependence of U(VI) retention in quartz/10(-4) M uranyl solution systems, under conditions favoring formation of polynuclear aqueous species and of colloids of amorphous schoepite as U(VI) solubility-limiting phases. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to gain insights into the coordination environments of sorbed/precipitated uranyl ions in the centrifuged quartz samples. The U4f XPS spectra made it possible to identify unambiguously the presence of two uranyl components. A high binding energy component, whose relative proportion increases with pH, exhibits the U4f lines characteristic of a reference synthetic metaschoepite. Such a high binding energy component is interpreted as a component having a U(VI) oxide hydrate character, either as polynuclear surface oligomers and/or as amorphous schoepite-like (surface) precipitates. Its pH dependence suggests that a binding of polynuclear species at quartz surfaces and/or a formation of amorphous schoepite-like (surface) precipitates is favored when the proportion of aqueous polynuclear species increases. A second surface component exhibits binding energies for the U4f core levels at values significantly lower (DeltaE(b)=1.2 eV) than for metaschoepite, evidencing uranyl ions in a distinct coordination environment. Such a low binding energy component may be attributed to monomeric uranyl surface complexes on the basis of published EXAFS data. Such a hypothesis is supported by a major contribution of the low binding energy component to the U4f XPS spectra of reference samples for uranyl sorbed on quartz from very acidic 10(-3) M uranyl solutions where UO(2)(2+) ions predominate.     

Synthesis,characterization and theoretical investigations of new uranium (VI) and thorium (IV) complexes with 1-furfurylaldehyde-derived Schiff bases as ligands

The present work describes the synthesis and characterization of thorium (IV) and dioxouranium (VI) coordination compounds with three Schiff bases derived from 1-furfurylaldehyde. All coordination compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and thermal analysis. The structural pattern, the geometry of the complexes and the coordination number of the metal ions were assigned on the basis of physico-chemical parameters, such as FTIR and UV–Vis spectra. The elemental analyses show a 1:1 stoichiometry for thorium coordinative compounds and 1:2 stoichiometry for uranyl ion, respectively. The obtained coordination compounds are stable in air, soluble in some organic solvents (DMF, acetonitrile, DMSO) and show fluorescent properties. The coordination compounds have high molar conductance that indicates their electrolytes nature. On the basis of the obtained experimental results, combined with theoretical studies, the structures of the compounds under study were proposed.     

Aqueous coordination chemistry and photochemistry of uranyl(VI) oxalate revisited: a density functional theory study

Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we revisited a classical problem of uranyl(VI) oxalate photochemical decomposition. Photoreactivities of uranyl(VI) oxalate complexes are found to correlate largely with ligand-structural arrangements. Importantly, the intramolecular photochemical reaction is inhibited when oxalate is bound to uranium exclusively in chelate binding mode. Previously proposed mechanisms involving a UO(2)(C(2)O(4))(2)(2-) (1:2) complex as the main photoreactive species are thus unlikely to apply, because the two oxalic acids are bound to uranium in a chelating binding mode. Our DFT results suggest that the relevant photoreactive species are UO(2)(C(2)O(4))(3)(4-) (1:3) and (UO(2))(2)(C(2)O(4))(5)(6-) (2:5) complexes binding uranium in an unidentate fashion. These species go through decarboxylation upon excitation to the triplet state, which ensues the release of CO(2) and reduction of U(vi) to U(v). The calculations also suggest an alternative intermolecular pathway at low pH via an electron transfer between the excited state *UO(2)(2+) and hydrogen oxalate (HC(2)O(4)(-)) which eventually leads to the production of CO and OH(-) with no net reduction of U(VI). The calculated results are consistent with previous experimental findings that CO is only detected at low pH while U(IV) is detected only at high pH.     

Uranyl-Bound Tetra-Dentate Non-Innocent Ligands: Prediction of Structure and Redox Behaviour Using Density Functional Theory

Computational methods have been applied to understand the reduction potentials of [UO₂-salmnt-L] complexes (L=pyridine, DMSO, DMF and TPPO), and their redox behavior is compared with previous experiments in dichloromethane solution. Since the experimental results were inconclusive regarding the influence of the uranyl-bound tetra-dentate ‘salmnt’ ligand, here we will show that salmnt acts as a redox-active ligand and exhibits non-innocent behavior to interfere with the otherwise expected one-electron metal (U) reduction. We have employed two approaches to determine the uranyl (VI/V) reduction potentials, using a direct study of one-electron reduction processes and an estimation of the overall reduction using isodesmic reactions. Hybrid density functional theory (DFT) methods were combined with the Conductor-like Polarizable Continuum Model (CPCM) to account for solvation effects. The computationally predicted one-electron reduction potentials for the range of [UO₂-salmnt-L] complexes are in excellent agreement with shoulder peaks (∼1.4 eV) observed in the cyclic voltammetry experiments and clearly correlate with ligand reduction. Highly conjugated pi-bonds stabilize the ligand based delocalized orbital relative to the localized U f-orbitals, and as a consequence, the ligand traps the incoming electron. A second reduction step results in metal U(VI) to U(V) reduction, in good agreement with the experimentally assigned uranyl (VI/V) reduction potentials.     

Dihydroxamate based siderophore model, piperazine-1,4-bis-(N-methyl-acetohydroxamic acid (PIPDMAHA), as a chelating agent of molybdenum(VI)

Equilibrium studies based on pH-potentiometric and spectrophotometric measurements as well as some theoretical simulations are reported for the complexes of Mo(VI) with a dihydroxamate type siderophore analogue, the piperazine-1,4-bis-(N-methyl-acetohydroxamic acid) (PIPDMAHA). It has been found that the complexation process starts below pH 2 and that PIPDMAHA forms more stable O,O-hydroxamate bis-chelated complexes with Mo(VI) than any of the formerly studied dihydroxamic acids. The experimental data were fitted with two complexation models based either on dinuclear or on mononuclear species. However, ESI-MS showed that the dimmer is much more abundant than the monomer. This feature was further suggested by theoretical simulation studies, which indicated the dimeric species is more stable than the monomeric one.