Interaction of vanadium(III) with imidazole carboxylic acids

Complex formation between vanadium(III) and several imidazole carboxylic derivatives (urocanic acid, imidazole-4-carboxylic and imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid) was studied using pH-potentiometric and spectroscopic (UV–Vis absorption and fluorescence) methods. The results show that urocanic acid is a weak ligand in aqueous solution and hydrolysis of vanadium(III) effectively competes with the complexation processes. Imidazole mono and di-carboxylate are relatively stronger donor (N,O) ligands and are able to prevent, to some degree, the hydrolysis processes. The main complex species in the vanadium(III)–imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid system is the dinuclear μ-oxo bridged V₂OL₂ species.     

Speciation in the Vanadium(III)–Carnosine System

Speciation in the aqueous V(III)–carnosine system has been determined from potentiometric and spectroscopic (UV-Vis absorption and CD) data. Application of the Hyperquad program to the experimental potentiometric data indicates that under our experimental conditions (I=0.5 mol⋅L⁻¹ NaClO₄, pH=2 to 6.5, and L/M>5) only ML₂H₄, ML₂H₃, ML₂H₂ and ML₂H form. These potentiometric results prove that stable complexes form and, with use of the spectroscopic methods, the binding sites are identified.     

A Potentiometric and Spectroscopic Investigation of Copper(II)– and Zinc(II)–Orotate Complex Equilibria Under Physiological Conditions

A quantitative study of zinc(II) and copper(II) complex formation with orotic acid has been performed under physiological conditions (37°C; 0.15 mol-dm^–3 NaCl) using the glass electrode potentiometric technique. Several species have been identified within the pH range 2–10 for the metal-to-ligand concentration ratios investigated. Three mononuclear complexes, ML, ML₂, and ML₂H_–1, have been characterized with both metals. In addition, the polynuclear species M₃L₂H_–2 has been found with copper(II). Formation constants for all these species have been calculated with the help of the SUPERQUAD computer program. UV absorption and IR spectroscopic measurements combined with speciation calculations have been used to confirm corresponding structures.     

Insight into the degradation of a manganese(III)-citrate complex in aqueous solutions

Kinetics of the electron transfer process between citrates and manganese(III) ions has been studied in acidic aqueous solutions. Acidification of the reaction mixture increased the reaction rate. The reaction is dependent on pH because there are two main protolytic forms of the Mn(III)-citrate complex in the studied pH range (4.5–6.5). Reduction potentials of Mn(III)/Mn(II) system in acidic and basic solutions as well as protolytic equilibria play a crucial role in understanding the pH profile of the studied system. The rate constants for Mn(III)citH and Mn(III)citH₂⁺ species degradation processes are presented (citH³⁻ and citH₂²⁻ are trivalent and divalent anions of citric acid, citH₄, respectively). Protolytic constant (expressed as pK′_a) for Mn(III)citH protonation is estimated and discussed.     

Electronic absorption spectra of U (III) ion in a LiCl–KCl eutectic melt at 450 °C

We have measured the electronic absorption spectra of the U(III) ion in LiCl–KCl eutectic melt at 450 °C to understand its chemical behavior in the context of pyrochemical process of spent nuclear fuel. The UV–VIS spectra of the U(III) ion consist of two main peaks in the range of 400–600 nm which are attributable to the 5f³–5f²6d¹ transitions. With the aid of UV–VIS spectroscopic tool, in-situ measurement of chemical reactions of the U(III) with oxide ion as well as neodymium oxide was successfully achieved. The U(III) ion forms insoluble uranium oxide phases by reacting with oxide ion and lanthanide oxides.     

Synthetic,structural, spectroscopic and solution speciation studies of the binary Al(III)–quinic acid system. Relevance of soluble Al(III)–hydroxycarboxylate species to molecular toxicity

Efforts to delineate the interactions of Al(III), a known metallotoxin, with low molecular mass physiological substrates involved in cellular processes led to the investigation of the structural speciation of the binary Al(III)–quinic acid system. Reaction of Al(NO₃)₃ · 9H₂O with d-(−)-quinic acid at a specific pH (4.0) afforded a colorless crystalline material K[Al(C₇H₁₁O₆)₃] · (OH) · 4H₂O (1). Complex 1 was characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, DSC–TGA, ¹³C-MAS NMR, solution ¹H and ¹³C NMR, and X-ray crystallography. The structure of 1 reveals a mononuclear octahedral complex of Al(III) with three singly ionized quinate ligands bound to it. The three ligand alcoholic side chains do not participate in metal binding and dangle away from the complex. The concurrent study of the aqueous speciation of the binary Al(III)–quinic acid system projects a number of species complementing the synthetic studies on the binary system Al(III)–quinic acid. The structural and spectroscopic data of 1 in the solid state and in solution emphasize its physicochemical properties emanating from the projections of the aqueous structural speciation scheme of the Al(III)–quinic acid system. The employed pH-specific synthetic work (a) exemplifies essential structural and chemical attributes of soluble aqueous species, arising from biologically relevant interactions of Al(III) with natural α-hydroxycarboxylate substrates, and (b) provides a potential linkage to the chemical reactivity of Al(III) toward O-containing molecular targets influencing physiological processes and/or toxicity events.     

Complex formation equilibria between aluminum(III), gadolinium(III) and yttrium(III) ions and some fluoroquinolone ligands. Potentiometric and spectroscopic study

Complex formation equilibria of aluminum(III), gadolinium(III), and yttrium(III) ions with the fluoroquinolone antibacterials moxifloxacin, ofloxacin, fleroxacin, lomefloxacin, levofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin were studied in aqueous solution by potentiometric and spectroscopic methods. The identity and stability of metal–fluoroquinolone complexes were determined by analyzing potentiometric titration curves (310 K, μ = 0.15 M NaCl, pH range = 2–11, C_L/C_M = 1?:?1 to 3?:?1, C_M = 1.0 mM) with the aid of Hyperquad2006 program. The main species formed in the system may be formulated as M_pH_qL_r (p = 1, q = ?2 to 2, r = 1–3, L = fluoroquinolone anion, logarithm of overall stability constant, log β_p,q,r = in the range ca. ?10 to 45). The stability of complexes is mostly influenced by metal ion properties (ionization potential, ionic radius) indicating partial ionic character of the coordination bond. The complexes were also characterized by spectroscopic measurements: spectrofluorimetry, ¹H-NMR, and ESI-MS. Fluorimetric data were evaluated with the aid of HypSpec2014 and indicated the formation of ML_r (r = 1–3) complexes with cumulative conditional stability constants significantly lower than the thermodynamic ones. NMR and MS data corroborate potentiometrically determined speciation. Calculated plasma mobilizing capacity of the ligands generally follows the order levofloxacin > moxifloxacin > ciprofloxacin at concentration levels of the ligands higher or equal to ca. 10^?4 M.     

Polymeric Zn(II) and Cu(II) complexes with exobidentate bridging l-tyrosine: Synthesis,structural and spectroscopic properties

A novel zinc(II) polymeric complex of the formula {[Zn(tyr)₂(H₂O)]H₂O}_n (1) containing l-tyrosine (tyr) was prepared in the crystalline form and characterized by X-ray diffraction, NIR–Vis–UV electronic and IR–FIR vibrational spectroscopy methods. Additionally, for the [Cu(tyr)₂]_n (2) polymer, the vibrational, electronic, EPR spectroscopic and magnetic properties were studied. l-tyrosine in coordination polymers acts as a N,O-bidendate ligand and presents exobidentate bridging with a μ-carboxyl group. The μ-carboxyl exobidentate bridging coordination mode leads to a one-dimensional chain structure. The ZnN₂O₃O′ chromophore has an elongated pseudo-octahedral geometry (1), whereas the CuN₂O₂O′ (2) chromophore presents a distorted square-pyramidal environment with τ = 0.19 around the Cu²⁺ ion.     

Revision of iron(III)–citrate speciation in aqueous solution. Voltammetric and spectrophotometric studies

A detailed study of iron (III)–citrate speciation in aqueous solution (θ = 25 °C, I_c = 0.7 mol L⁻¹) was carried out by voltammetric and UV–vis spectrophotometric measurements and the obtained data were used for reconciled characterization of iron (III)–citrate complexes. Four different redox processes were registered in the voltammograms: at 0.1 V (pH = 5.5) which corresponded to the reduction of iron(III)–monocitrate species (Fe:cit = 1:1), at about −0.1 V (pH = 5.5) that was related to the reduction of FeL₂⁵⁻, FeL₂H⁴⁻ and FeL₂H₂³⁻ complexes, at −0.28 V (pH = 5.5) which corresponded to the reduction of polynuclear iron(III)–citrate complex(es), and at −0.4 V (pH = 7.5) which was probably a consequence of Fe(cit)₂(OH)_x species reduction. Reversible redox process at −0.1 V allowed for the determination of iron(III)–citrate species and their stability constants by analyzing E_p vs. pH and E_p vs. [L⁴⁻] dependence. The UV–vis spectra recorded at varied pH revealed four different spectrally active species: FeLH (log β = 25.69), FeL₂H₂³⁻ (log β = 48.06), FeL₂H⁴⁻ (log β = 44.60), and FeL₂⁵⁻ (log β = 38.85). The stability constants obtained by spectrophotometry were in agreement with those determined electrochemically. The UV–vis spectra recorded at various citrate concentrations (pH = 2.0) supported the results of spectrophotometric–potentiometric titration.     

CoFe2O4 nano-particles functionalized with 8-hydroxyquinoline for dispersive solid-phase micro-extraction and direct fluorometric monitoring of aluminum in human serum and water samples

A simple dispersive solid-phase micro-extraction method based on CoFe₂O₄ nano-particles (NPs) functionalized with 8-hydroxyquinoline (8-HQ) with the aid of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) was developed for separation of Al(III) ions from aqueous solutions. Al(III) ions are separated at pH 7 via complex formation with 8-HQ using the functionalized CoFe₂O₄ nano-particles sol solution as a dispersed solid-phase extractor. The separated analyte is directly quantified by a spectrofluorometric method at 370 nm excitation and 506 nm emission wavelengths. A comparison of the fluorescence of Al(III)–8-HQ complex in bulk solution and that of Al(III) ion interacted with 8-HQ/SDS/CoFe₂O₄ NPs revealed a nearly 5-fold improvement in intensity. The experimental factors influencing the separation and in situ monitoring of the analyte were optimized. Under these conditions, the calibration graph was linear in the range of 0.1–300 ng mL⁻¹ with a correlation coefficient of 0.9986. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were 0.03 ng mL⁻¹ and 0.10 ng mL⁻¹, respectively. The inter-day and intra-day relative standard deviations for six replicate determinations of 150 ng mL⁻¹ Al(III) ion were 2.8% and 1.7%, respectively. The method was successfully applied to direct determine Al(III) ion in various human serum and water samples.     

Stability Constants for the Equilibrium Models of Iron(III) with Several Biological Buffers in Aqueous Solutions

The complexation equilibria of Fe(III) with two buffer families, which are ubiquitous in biological system studies, were studied by potentiometric measurements at a constant ionic strength of I = 0.1 mol·dm^?3 NaNO₃ in aqueous solutions at 298.15 K. The members of TRIS family are tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (TRIS), N-[tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl]-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid (TES), N-[tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl]-3-aminopropanesulfonic acid (TAPS), N-[tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl]-3-amino-2-hydroxypropanesulfonic acid (TAPSO), and N-tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl-4-aminobutanesulfonic acid (TABS) buffers. The members of morpholine family are 4-morpholineethanesulfonic acid (MES), 4-morpholinepropanesulfonic acid (MOPS), 3-morpholino-2-hydroxypropanesulfonic acid (MOPSO), and 4-(N-morpholino) butanesulfonic acid (MOBS) buffers. The overall stability constants were determined from pH-metric data using the least-squares curve-fitting program HYPERQUAD 2008. Based on the best-fit results, the species formed at equilibrium are ML, ML₂, ML₂H_?1, and ML₃ in the systems with TRIS family buffers. The complex species ML, ML₂, ML₂H_?1, and MLH_?1 are formed in the MOPSO-containing system, while ML, ML₂, and ML₂H_?1 are formed in the systems with MES, MOPS, and MOBS. The stabilities of the complexes fall in the order TABS > TRIS > TAPS > TAPSO > TES and MOBS > MOPS > MOPSO > MES for the TRIS family and morpholine families, respectively.     

Kinetics of oxidation of iron(II) by vanadium(V) under the conditions where VO2+ and decavanadate coexist

The kinetics of the reaction between iron(II) and vanadium(V) have been investigated in the pH range 2.6–4.2 where decavanadates and VO₂⁺ coexist in equilibrium. Under these conditions, the observed kinetic pattern is radically different from the one reported for the reaction in strong acid medium. In the pH range employed, the reaction rate is not appreciably altered by variation in the stoichiometric vanadium(V) concentration due to the operation of the equilibrium between the reactive species, VO₂⁺, and the unreactive species, decavanadates. The reaction, however, obeys first‐order kinetics with respect to Fe(II). In the presence of salicylic acid, which imparts considerable reactivity to iron(II) by reducing the reduction potential of iron(III)/iron(II) couple by forming a stronger complex with iron(III) than iron(II), the kinetic results provide evidence for the participation of decavanadates in the electron transfer. The mechanism under both conditions is discussed. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 32: 535–541, 2000     

Optical properties of single crystals of heavy lanthanide chlorides

Studies of heavy lanthanide chlorides may provide important information on the degree of Ln³⁺–ligand bond covalency. Monocrystals of LnCl₃·6H₂O, where Ln = Dy, Ho and Er, were grown and spectroscopic investigations were performed at room temperature and at low temperatures down to 4.2 K in order to understand the nature of the Ln³⁺–L bonds. The intensities of the electronic lines and the Judd–Ofelt parameters were calculated and compared with those obtained for chlorides of light lanthanides (i.e. Ce(III), Pr(III) and Nd(III)). Room temperature Raman and IR studies of the compounds under investigation were also performed. The relationship between hypersensitivity and covalency is discussed. The change of vibronic coupling strength along the lanthanide ion series does not modify monotonically. The ion-pair interactions are especially visible for the ⁵I₈ → ⁵F₂ and ⁵I₈ → ⁵F₃ transitions in the HoCl₃·6H₂O low temperature spectra.     

Effect of inorganic aqueous anions on the synergic extraction of cadmium and zinc with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-benzoyl-pyrazol-5-one (HPMBP) and lipophilic ammonium salts

As a part of a systematic study of the synergic extractions of metals with mixtures of acidic chelating extractants and lipophilic anion-exchangers (B, X with X^?6 inorganic anion), the extractions of M  Cd and Zn from perchlorate, nitrate and sulphate media with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-benzoyl-pyrazol-5- one (HL) and tri-n-octylammonium salts (TOAH.X) or aliquat 336 (TOMA.X) in toluene have been investigated. Three key equilibria describe the extractions: (a) M²⁺+2$\text{HL}$?$\text{ML}{}_2$+2H⁺. (b) $\text{B.X}$ +$\text{HL}$?$\text{B.L}$+H⁺+X^? with B efficiency TOMA < TOAH and X efficiency ClO₄ < NO₃ < SO₄. (c) $\text{ML}{}_2$+$\text{B.L}$?$\text{B.ML}{}_3$ with B efficiency toma > TOAH and Ni ～ Co > Cd > ZN.As a consequence of the conflicting orders of efficiencies of TOMA and TOAH in equilibria b and c, TOAH.X is a better synergic extractant from perchlorate medium than TOMA.X whereas the inverse is observed from nitrate and sulphate media. Equilibrium c is independent of the inorganic anions. Constants of equilibria a, b and c are given. B.ML₃ species are not extracted in 1-octanol.     

Speciation of the Ternary Complexes of Vanadium(III)–Dipicolinic Acid and the Amino Acids Cysteine,Histidine, Aspartic and Glutamic Acids in 3.0 mol⋅dm<Superscript>−3</Superscript> KCl at 25 °C

In this work we present results for the speciation of the ternary complexes formed in the aqueous vanadium(III)–dipicolinic acid and the amino acids cysteine (H₂cys), histidine (Hhis), aspartic acid (H₂asp) and glutamic acid (H₂glu) systems (25 °C; 3.0 mol⋅dm⁻³ KCl as ionic medium), determined by means of potentiometric measurements. The potentiometric data were analyzed with the least-squares program LETAGROP, taking into account the hydrolysis of vanadium(III), the acid-base reactions of the ligands, and the binary complexes formed. Under the experimental conditions (vanadium(III) concentration = 2–3 mmol⋅dm⁻³ and vanadium(III): dipicolinic acid: amino acid molar ratio 1:1:1, 1:1:2 and 1:2:1), the following species [V(dipic)(H₂asp)]⁺, [V(dipic)(Hasp)], [V(dipic)(asp)]⁻, [V(dipic)(asp)(OH)]²⁻, and [V(dipic)(asp)(OH)₂]³⁻ were found in the vanadium(III)–dipicolinic acid–aspartic acid system. In the vanadium(III)–dipicolinic acid–glutamic acid system [V(Hdipic)(H₂glu)]²⁺, [V(dipic)(H₂glu)]⁺, [V(dipic)(Hglu)], [V(dipic)(Hglu)(OH)]⁻, and [V(dipic)(Hglu)(OH)₂]²⁻ were observed. In the vanadium(III)–dipicolinic acid–cysteine system the complexes [V(dipic)(H₂cys)]⁺, [V(dipic)(Hcys)], [V(dipic)(cys)]⁻, and [V(dipic)(cys)(OH)]²⁻ were present. And finally, in the vanadium(III)–dipicolinic acid–histidine system the complexes [V(Hdipic)(Hhis)]²⁺, [V(dipic) (Hhis)]⁺[\mathrm{V}(\mathrm{dipic}) (\mathrm{Hhis})]^{+}, [V(dipic)(his)], [V(dipic)(his)(OH)]⁻, and [V(dipic)(his)(OH)₂]²⁻ were observed. The stability constants of these complexes were determined. The species distribution diagrams as a function of pH are briefly discussed.     

Vanadium in Italian waters: monitoring and speciation of V(IV) and V(V)

In this work, a highly sensitive method was developed to separate vanadium (IV) from vanadium (V), which are both contained in water at trace levels. A suitable strong anionic exchange column (SAX) loaded with disodium ethylendiaminetetraacetic acid (Na₂EDTA) was used to trap both vanadium species dissolved in 10–100 ml of water at pH 3. The vanadyl ion was selectively eluted by means of 15 ml of an aqueous solution containing Na₂EDTA, tetrabutylammonium hydroxide (TBA⁺OH⁻), and isopropanol (ⁱPr-OH) and was subsequently determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy with electrothermal atomization. The concentration of vanadate ion was calculated by subtracting the vanadyl concentration from the total concentration of vanadium. The optimal conditions for a selective elution were evaluated. The recovery of vanadium (IV) was 95% or better. The proposed method provides a simple procedure for the speciation of vanadium in aqueous matrices. The collection of the two forms could easily be carried out at the sampling site. Therefore, the risk of changing the concentration ratio between vanadium species was widely reduced. The detection limits were 1 μg/l for both species, when a 10-ml sample was eluted through the column. The method was applied successfully to vanadium speciation on different kinds of Italian volcanic water: Mount Etna (Sicily), Lake Bracciano and Castelli Romani (Latium).     

Unexpected formation of the copper(II) dinuclear mixed-ligand species in the ternary system of N,N,N′,N″,N″-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine with methionine- or histidinehydroxamic acids in aqueous solution

Equilibrium studies of the mixed-ligand complexes of the copper(II) ion with pentamethyldiethylenetriamine (N,N,N′,N″,N″-pentamethyl-[bis(2-aminoethyl)amine], Me₅dien) as a primary ligand and methioninehydroxamic acid (2-amino-4-(methylthio)butanehydroxamic acid, Metha) or histidinehydroxamic acid (2-amino-3-(4′-imidazolyl)propanehydroxamicacid, Hisha) as a secondary ligand L were performed by potentiometric titration, UV–Vis and EPR spectroscopy. The results show that in these ternary systems the dinuclear [Cu₂(Me₅dien)L₂H₋₁]⁺ mixed-ligand species is formed as a predominant one in the basic solution. The monouclear [Cu(Me₅dien)L]⁺ species is formed in low concentration. Our spectroscopic results indicate that the geometry of these mixed-ligand five-coordinate complexes is strongly distorted towards trigonal-bipyramidal.     

Speciation of the Vanadium(III) Complexes with 1,10-Phenanthroline, 2,2′-Bipyridine,and 8-Hydroxyquinoline

The complex species formed between vanadium(III) and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 2,2′-bipyridine (bipy), and 8-hydroxyquinoline (8hq) were studied in aqueous solution by means of electromotive forces measurements, emf(H), at 25 °C with 3.0 mol⋅dm⁻³ KCl as the ionic medium. The potentiometric data were analyzed using the least-squares computational program LETAGROP, taking into account the hydrolytic vanadium(III) species formed in solution. Analysis of the vanadium(III)–phen system data shows the formation of [VHL]⁴⁺, [V(OH)L]²⁺, [V₂OL₂]⁴⁺ and [V₂OL₄]⁴⁺ complexes. In the vanadium(III)–bipy system the [VHL]⁴⁺, [V(OH)L]²⁺, [V₂OL₂]⁴⁺ and [V₂OL₄]⁴⁺ complexes were observed, and in the vanadium(III)–8hq system the complexes [V(OH)L]⁺, [V(OH)₂L], [VL₂]⁺ and [VL₃] were detected.     

H-type aggregation of functional metal ion sensing phthalocyanines: Synthesis,characterization and electrochemistry

We report, in this study, the preparation and physical characterization of the peripherally functionalized ionophore ligand, 4,5-bis(6-hydroxyhexan-3ylthio)-1,2-dicyanobenzene (1) and its branched thioalcohol-substituted phthalocyanines, 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octakis{6-hydroxyhexan-3-ylthio)-metal (II) or (III) phthalocyanines {M{Pc[SCH(C₃H₇)(C₂H₅OH)]₈} {M = Pb(II) (2), Zn(II) (3), Cu(II) (4), Co(II) (5) and Mn(III), X = Cl⁻ (6)} which can selectively bind soft-metal ions such as silver (I) and palladium (II). It was observed by means of UV–Vis absorption spectrophotometry that the aggregates formed lead to a low solubility of the phthalocyanines in protic solvents, such as low molecular alcohols. However, the addition of AgNO₃ and Na₂PdCl₄ into a THF–MeOH solution of {M{Pc[SCH(C₃H₇)(C₂H₅OH)]₈X} {M = Pb(II) (2), Zn(II) (3), Cu(II) (4), Co(II) (5) and Mn(III), X = Cl⁻ (6)} induced optical changes, which indicated the formation of twisted H-type dimers (blue shift, face-to-face fashion) of {M{Pc[SCH(C₃H₇)(C₂H₅OH)]₈} complexes, bound by four PdCl₂ and AgNO₃ units in THF solution. Elemental analysis data, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/MS), FT-IR, ¹H, ¹³C NMR, and UV–Vis spectral data were used as complementary techniques. Voltammetry and in situ spectroelectrochemistry of the complexes were performed on Pt in DMSO/TBAP. The first reduction and oxidation processes of 5 were found to be split due to the presence of facile equilibria between the species coordinated differently at axial positions. The Mn(III)Pc(−2)X⁻ complex (6) displayed well-defined colour changes during its reduction processes. The redox behaviour of the Mn(III)Pc(−2)X⁻ complex was observed to be affected significantly by the existence of oxygen in solution due to the formation of μ-oxo MnPc species, Mn(III)Pc–O–PcMn(III). This effect was clarified well by in situ spectroelectrochemical measurements.     

Complex Formation of Acetic Acid with Ca(II) and Mg(II) Under Physiological Conditions

Potentiometric titrations of aqueous acetic acid alone and in the presence of Ca(II) or Mg(II) ions have been carried out under physiological conditions at the temperature 37 °C and ionic strength 0.15 mol⋅dm⁻³ (NaCl) at different ligand-to-metal ratios. Changes in pH were monitored with a glass electrode calibrated daily in terms of the hydrogen ion concentrations. Titration data within the pH range 2.5 to 6.6 were analyzed to determine stability constants using the SUPERQUAD program. Different combinations of complexes were considered during the calculation procedure for both systems, but evidence was found only for mononuclear ML and ML₂ species. Speciation calculations based on the corresponding constants were then used to simulate the species’ distributions.