Complexation behavior of trivalent actinides and lanthanides with 1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-dicarboxylic acid based ligands: insight from density functional theory

We have investigated the complexation behavior of preorganized 1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-dicarboxylic acid (PDA) based ligands with trivalent lanthanides and actinides using density functional theory with various GGA type exchange-correlation functionals and different basis sets. New ligands have been designed from PDA through functionalization with soft donor atoms such as sulfur, resulting in mono-thio-dicarboxylic acids (TCA/TCA1) and di-thio-dicarboxylic acid (THIO). It has been found that selectivity in terms of complexation energy of actinides over lanthanides is the maximum with TCA1 where the metal-ligand binding is through the O atoms. This unusual feature where a softer actinide metal ion is bonded strongly with hard donor oxygen atoms has been explained using the popular chemical concepts, viz., Pearson's Hard-Soft-Acid-Base (HSAB) principle and the frontier orbital theory of chemical reactivity as proposed by Fukui. Detailed analysis within the framework of the HSAB principle indicates that the presence of softer nitrogen atoms in the phenanthroline moiety (which also act as donors to the metal ion) has a profound influence in changing the soft nature of the actinide ion, which in turn binds with the hard oxygen atoms in a stronger way as compared to the valence isoelectronic lanthanide ion. Also, the trends in the variation of calculated values of the metal-ligand bond distances and the corresponding complex formation energies have been rationalized using the Fukui reactivity indices corresponding to the metal ions and the donor sites. All the calculations have also been done in the presence of solvent. The "intra-ligand synergistic effect" demonstrated here for PDA or TCA1 with soft and hard donor centers might be very important in designing new ligands for selective extraction of various metal ions in a competitive environment. However, for TCA and THIO ligands with only soft donor centers, "intra-ligand synergism" may not be very efficient although reports are available demonstrating soft-soft inter-ligand synergism. Nevertheless, in the case of TCA and THIO complexes, a shorter Am-S bond distance in conjunction with lower metal ion charge and a higher percentage of orbital interaction energy corroborate the presence of a higher degree of covalency in Am-S bonds, which in turn may be responsible for selectivity towards Am(3+).     

Complexation of lactate with neodymium(III) and europium(III) at variable temperatures: studies by potentiometry, microcalorimetry, optical absorption, and luminescence spectroscopy

The complexation of neodymium(III) and europium(III) with lactate was studied at variable temperatures by potentiometry, absorption spectrophotometry, luminescence spectroscopy, and microcalorimetry. The stability constants of three successive lactate complexes (ML(2+), ML(2)(+), and ML(3)(aq), where M stands for Nd and Eu and L stands for lactate) at 10, 25, 40, 55, and 70 °C were determined. The enthalpies of complexation at 25 °C were determined by microcalorimetry. Thermodynamic data show that the complexation of trivalent lanthanides (Nd(3+) and Eu(3+)) with lactate is exothermic and the complexation becomes weaker at higher temperatures. Results from optical absorption and luminescence spectroscopy suggest that the complexes are inner-sphere chelate complexes in which the protonated α-hydroxyl group of lactate participates in the complexation.     

Theoretical studies on the complexation of Eu(III) and Am(III) with HDEHP: structure,bonding nature and stability

Separation of trivalent lanthanides (Ln(III)) and actinides (An(III)) is a key issue in the advanced spent nuclear fuel reprocessing. In the well-known trivalent actinide lanthanide separation by phosphorus reagent extraction from aqueous komplexes (TALSPEAK) process, the organophosphorus ligand HDEHP (di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid) has been used as an efficient reagent for the partitioning of Ln(III) from An(III) with the combination of a holdback reagent in aqueous lactate buffer solution. In this work, the structural and electronic properties of Eu³⁺ and Am³⁺ complexes with HDEHP in nitric acid solution have been systematically explored by using scalar-relativistic density functional theory (DFT). It was found that HDEHP can coordinate with M(III) (M=Eu, Am) cations in the form of hydrogen-bonded dimers HL₂^- (L=DEHP), and the metal ions prefer to coordinate with the phosphoryl oxygen atom of the ligand. For all the extraction complexes, the metal-ligand bonds are mainly ionic in nature. Although Eu(III) complexes have higher interaction energies, the HL₂^- dimer shows comparable affinity for Eu(III) and Am(III) according to thermodynamic analysis, which may be attributed to the higher stabilities of Eu(III) nonahydrate. It is expected that this work could provide insightful information on the complexation of An(III) and Ln(III) with HDEHP at the molecular level.     

First-principles study of the separation of Am(III)/Cm(III) from Eu(III) with Cyanex301

The experimentally observed extraction complexes of trivalent lanthanide Eu(III) and actinide Am(III)/Cm(III) cations with purified Cyanex301 [bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)dithiophosphinic acid, HBTMPDTP denoted as HL], i.e., ML(3) (M = Eu, Am, Cm) as well as the postulated complexes HAmL(4) and HEuL(4)(H(2)O) have been studied by using energy-consistent 4f- and 5f-in-core pseudopotentials for trivalent f elements, combined with density functional theory and second-order M?ller-Plesset perturbation theory. Special attention was paid to explaining the high selectivity of Cyanex301 for Am(III)/Cm(III) over Eu(III). It is shown that the neutral complexes ML(3), where L acts as a bidentate ligand and the metal cation is coordinated by six S atoms, are most likely the most stable extraction complexes. The calculated metal-sulfur bond distances for ML(3) do reflect the cation employed; i.e., the larger the cation, the longer the metal-sulfur bond distances. The calculated M-S and M-P bond lengths agree very well with the available experimental data. The obtained changes of the Gibbs free energies in the extraction reactions M(3+) + 3HL → ML(3) + 3H(+) agree with the thermodynamical priority for Am(3+) and Cm(3+). Moreover, the ionic metal-ligand dissociation energies of the extraction complexes ML(3) show that, although EuL(3) is the most stable complex in the gas phase, it is the least stable in aqueous solution.     

2,6-Bis(5-(2,2-dimethylpropyl)-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine as a ligand for efficient actinide(III)/lanthanide(III) separation

The N-donor complexing ligand 2,6-bis(5-(2,2-dimethylpropyl)-1H-pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine (C5-BPP) was synthesized and screened as an extracting agent selective for trivalent actinide cations over lanthanides. C5-BPP extracts Am(III) from up to 1 mol/L HNO(3) with a separation factor over Eu(III) of approximately 100. Due to its good performance as an extracting agent, the complexation of trivalent actinides and lanthanides with C5-BPP was studied. The solid-state compounds [Ln(C5-BPP)(NO(3))(3)(DMF)] (Ln = Sm(III), Eu(III)) were synthesized, fully characterized, and compared to the solution structure of the Am(III) 1:1 complex [Am(C5-BPP)(NO(3))(3)]. The high stability constant of log β(3) = 14.8 ± 0.4 determined for the Cm(III) 1:3 complex is in line with C5-BPP's high distribution ratios for Am(III) observed in extraction experiments.     

Selective recognition of americium by peptide-based reagents

The separation of lanthanides from minor actinides such as americium and curium is an important step during the recycling process in the treatment of nuclear waste. However, the similar chemistry and ionic size of lanthanide and actinide ions make the separation challenging. Here, we report that a peptide-based reagent can selectively bind trivalent actinides over trivalent lanthanides by means of introducing soft-donor atoms into a peptide known as a lanthanide-binding tag (LBT). Fluorescence spectroscopy has been used to measure the dissociation constant of each metal/peptide complex. A 10-fold selectivity was obtained for Am(3+) over the similarly sized lanthanide cation, Nd(3+), when the asparagine on the fifth position of a LBT was mutated to a cysteine and further functionalized by a pyridine moiety.     

Comparative NMR Study of nPrBTP and iPrBTP

Bistriazinyl-pyridine type ligands are important extracting agents for separating trivalent actinide ions from trivalent lanthanides. The alkyl substituents on the lateral triazine rings have a significant effect on the stability of the ligand against hydrolysis and radiolysis. Furthermore they influence solubility, extraction behaviour and selectivity. TRLFS and extraction studies suggest differences in complexation and extraction behaviour of BTP ligands bearing iso-propyl or n-propyl substituents, respectively. As NMR studies allow insight into the metal-ligand bonding, we conducted NMR studies on a range of ¹⁵N-labelled nPrBTP and iPrBTP Ln(III) and Am(III) complexes. Our results show that no strong change in the metal-ligand bonding occurs, thus excluding electronic reasons for differences in complexation behaviour, extraction kinetics and selectivity. This supports mechanistic reasons for the observed differences.     

Basicity, complexation ability and interfacial behavior of BTBPs: a simulation study

BTBPs represent an important class of tetradentate heterocyclic ligands with N-donor binding sites that have been recently developed to separate trivalent actinides from lanthanides. We first investigate by QM calculations the conformational properties, basicity and complexation energies with Eu(NO(3))(3), comparing BTBP derivatives with alkyl substituents on the pyridinyl or triazinyl moieties to their conformationally cis-locked BTPhen analogues. The latter, preorganized for protonation and complexation, are found to be more basic and to afford more stable complexes. We next explore the interfacial behavior of CyMe(4)BTBP in its neutral versus protonated states and of 1:1 Eu(NO(3))(3)(CyMe(4)BTBP) complexes at the aqueous interface with an octanol-hexane mixture. The neutral BTBP ligand displays no visible surface activity, whereas protonated and complexed ligands are surface active. Taken together, the QM and MD results suggest that Eu(III) extraction by BTBPs occurs at the interface, via the protonated form of the ligand in acidic conditions, explaining why the extraction kinetics is slow and why BTPhen ligands are more efficient than BTBPs.     

Liquid-liquid extraction of trivalent actinides and lanthanides with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4- trifluoroacetyl pyrazolone-5

Extraction of the trivalent actinides Am, Cm and Cf and lanthanides Eu, Tb, Tm and Lu has been studied with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-trifluoroacetyl pyrazolone- 5(HPMTFP) in chloroform and benzene. The formation of a self-adduct species M(PMTFP)₃·HPMTFP has been observed with Am, Cm and Eu but only the chelate species M(PMTFP)₃ with Cf, Tb, Tm and Lu. The reasons for the formation of a self-adduct species with lighter actinides and lanthanides and not with the heavier ones of the pyrazolones have been discussed.     

Time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy and extended X-ray absorption spectroscopy investigations of the N3- complexation of Eu(III), Cm(III), and Am(III) in an ionic liquid: differences and similarities

The complexation of the lanthanide Eu(III) and the actinides Cm(III) and Am(III) by N3- was investigated by application of time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAFS) in the ionic liquid solution of C4mimTf2N (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium-bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide). TRLFS measurements show that the interaction of azide with Eu(CF3SO3)3 and Eu(ClO4)3 results in both dynamic luminescence quenching by collisional encounters of N3- with Eu(III) and static luminescence quenching by inner-sphere complexation of Eu(III) by N3-. Hereby, the complexation of Eu-triflate by azide starts at a lower N3- concentration as compared to the perchlorate salt. The authors ascribe this phenomenon to a stronger bonding of ClO4- toward the metal ion than triflate, as well as to a stronger electrostatic repulsion of N3- by the perchlorate ligand. In both actinide samples (Cm(ClO4)3, Am(ClO4)3), the complexation with azide exhibits a clear kinetic hindrance. Nevertheless, mixed actinide-perchlorate-azide complexes are formed after several days in C4mimTf2N. The different reaction kinetics for the Ln- and An-complexation by azide may provide the opportunity for an effective separation of lanthanides from actinides in the nuclear fuel cycle by the use of N-based extractants in ionic liquid solution.     

Use of electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) for the study of europium(III) complexation with bis(dialkyltriazinyl)pyridines and its implications in the design of new extracting agents

ESI mass spectrometry was used to investigate the europium complexation by tridentate ligands L identical with 2,6-bis(5,6-dialkyl-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)-pyridines (DATP) that have shown unique separation properties of actinides(III) from lanthanides(III) in nitric acid solutions. Complexes of three ligands, namely methyl (DMTP), n-propyl (DnPTP), and iso-propyl (DiPTP), have been investigated in acidic solutions to check the aqueous-phase stability of Eu(L)(3)(3+) ions identified previously in the solid state. The data obtained show, first, the presence of stable Eu(L)(3)(3+) ions with DnPTP (log beta(3)(app) = 12.0 +/- 0.5) and DiPTP (log beta(3)(app) = 14.0 +/- 0.6) in methanol/water (1:1 v/v) solutions under pH range 2.8-4.6 and, second, a mechanism whereby alkyl moieties contribute to a self-assembling process leading to the formation of Eu(L)(3)(3+) ions. Other complexes such as Eu(L)(2)(3+) ions are only observed for DnPTP (log beta(2)(app) = 6.7 +/- 0.5) and DMTP (log beta(2)(app) = 6.3 +/- 0.1) and Eu(L)(3+) only for DMTP (log beta(1)(app) = 2.9 +/- 0.2). The log beta(n)(app) values for the Eu(L)(n)(3+) (n = 1-3) complexes were determined at pH 2.8. Better insight was given in this study concerning the role of the hydrophobic exterior of the ligands for the design of a new range of extracting agents.     

Thermodynamic study on the complexation of Am(III) and Eu(III) with tetradentate nitrogen ligands: a probe of complex species and reactions in aqueous solution

A thermodynamic investigation has been performed to study the complexation of trivalent metal (M) ions (M = Am(III), Eu(III)) with tetradentate ligands (L), 6,6'-bis(5,6-dialkyl-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)-2,2'-bipyridines (BTBPs), by using relativistic quantum mechanical calculations. The structures and stabilities of the inner-sphere BTBPs complexes were explored in the presence of various counterions such as NO(3)(-), Cl(-), and ClO(4)(-). According to our calculations, Am(III) and Eu(III) can chelate eight or nine water molecules at most, whereas more stable species like M(NO(3))(3)(H(2)O)(4) tend to be formed in the presence of nitrate ions. The inner sphere of the BTBPs complexes can accommodate four water molecules or three nitrate ions based on our calculations, forming species such as [ML(H(2)O)(4)](3+) and ML(NO(3))(3). Compared with Eu(III) complexes, the Am(III) counterparts have obviously lower binding energies in both the gas phase and solution. In addition, the solvent effect significantly decreases the binding energies of the BTBPs complexes. It has been found that the complexing reactions, in which products and reactants possess the same or close number of nitrate ions, are more favorable for formation of the BTBPs complexes. In short, the reactions of M(NO(3))(3)(H(2)O)(4) → ML(NO(3))(3) and [M(NO(3))(H(2)O)(7)](2+) → [ML(2)(NO(3))](2+) are probably the dominant ones in the Am(III)/Eu(III) separation process.     

Characterization and comparison of Cm(III) and Eu(III) complexed with 2,6-di(5,6-dipropyl-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)pyridine using EXAFS, TRFLS, and quantum-chemical methods

The complexation of Cm(III) and Eu(III) with 2,6-di(5,6-dipropyl-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)pyridine (n-C3H7-BTP) in nonaqueous organic solution is studied with extended X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Bond lengths are the same in both complexes. Quantum-chemical calculations performed at different levels support this finding. On the other hand, the Cm.(n-C3H7-BTP)3 complex is formed at much lower ligand-to-metal concentration ratio than the Eu.(n-C3H7-BTP)3 complex, as shown by time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. This is in good agreement with n-C3H7-BTP's high selectivity for trivalent actinides over lanthanides in liquid-liquid extraction.     

Discriminating factors affecting incorporation: comparison of the fate of Eu3+-Cm3+ in the Sr carbonate-sulfate system

The aim of this work is to assess the effect of ligand strength, symmetry, and coordination number on solid solution formation of trivalent actinides and lanthanides in carbonate and sulfate minerals. This is of particular importance in radionuclide migration where trivalent actinides such as Pu, Am, and Cm are responsible for the majority of radiotoxicity after 1000 years. Time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy was used to study trace concentrations of the dopant ion after interaction with the mineral phase. This study expands on previous work with aragonite and gypsum where it was found that aragonite incorporates Eu(3+) and Cm(3+) while only surface sorption is observed in gypsum. This study uses isostructural minerals strontianite (SrCO(3)) and celestite (SrSO(4)) to decouple the effect of structure from that due to the anion. It is demonstrated that while distribution coefficients can predict the amount of dopant ion associated with the mineral phase, they do not have any correlation with solid solution formation. This substitution mechanism is most likely dictated by the symmetry of the site being substituted and the electronic structure of the dopant atom.     

Importance of energy level matching for bonding in Th(3+)-Am(3+) actinide metallocene amidinates, (C(5)Me(5))(2)[(i)PrNC(Me)N(i)Pr]An

The synthesis of a rare trivalent Th(3+) complex, (C(5)Me(5))(2)[(i)PrNC(Me)N(i)Pr]Th, initiated a density functional theory analysis on the electronic and molecular structures of trivalent actinide complexes of this type for An = Th, Pa, U, Np, Pu, and Am. While the 6d orbital is found to accommodate the unpaired spin in the Th(3+) species, the next member of the series, Pa, is characterized by an f(2) ground state, and later actinides successively fill the 5f shell. In this report, we principally examine the evolution of the bonding as one advances along the actinide row. We find that the early actinides (Pa-Np) are characterized by localized f orbitals and essentially ionic bonding, whereas the f orbitals in the later members of the series (Pu, Am) exhibit significant interaction and spin delocalization into the carbon- and nitrogen-based ligand orbitals. This is perhaps counter-intuitive since the f orbital radius and hence metal-ligand overlap decreases with increasing Z, but this trend is counter-acted by the fact that the actinide contraction also leads to a stabilization of the f orbital manifold that leads to a near degeneracy between the An 5f and cyclopentadienyl π-orbitals for Pu and Am, causing a significant orbital interaction.     

Hydrophilic sulfonated bis-1,2,4-triazine ligands are highly effective reagents for separating actinides(iii) from lanthanides(iii) via selective formation of aqueous actinide complexes

We report the first examples of hydrophilic 6,6′-bis(1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)-2,2′-bipyridine (BTBP) and 2,9-bis(1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)-1,10-phenanthroline (BTPhen) ligands, and their applications as actinide(iii) selective aqueous complexing agents. The combination of a hydrophobic diamide ligand in the organic phase and a hydrophilic tetrasulfonated bis-triazine ligand in the aqueous phase is able to separate Am(iii) from Eu(iii) by selective Am(iii) complex formation across a range of nitric acid concentrations with very high selectivities, and without the use of buffers. In contrast, disulfonated bis-triazine ligands are unable to separate Am(iii) from Eu(iii) in this system. The greater ability of the tetrasulfonated ligands to retain Am(iii) selectively in the aqueous phase than the corresponding disulfonated ligands appears to be due to the higher aqueous solubilities of the complexes of the tetrasulfonated ligands with Am(iii). The selectivities for Am(iii) complexation observed with hydrophilic tetrasulfonated bis-triazine ligands are in many cases far higher than those found with the polyaminocarboxylate ligands previously used as actinide-selective complexing agents, and are comparable to those found with the parent hydrophobic bis-triazine ligands. Thus we demonstrate a feasible alternative method to separate actinides from lanthanides than the widely studied approach of selective actinide extraction with hydrophobic bis-1,2,4-triazine ligands such as CyMe₄-BTBP and CyMe₄-BTPhen.     

Adamantylcalixarenes with CMPO groups at the wide rim: synthesis and extraction of lanthanides and actinides

Starting from p-adamantylcalix[4]- and [6]arenes functionalized with carboxylic acid or ester groups at the adamantane nuclei, carbamoylmethylphosphine oxide (CMPO)-containing ligands of a novel type were synthesized. They were studied as extractants for a series of f-block elements including radioactive ¹⁵²Eu(III), ²⁴¹Am(III), ²³³U(VI), and ²³⁹Pu(IV). Tetrameric ligand 4b in which CMPO residues are connected to adamantane nuclei through methylene groups gave the best extraction results for lanthanides and actinides. For all the ligands the extraction efficiency does not decrease at higher nitric acid concentration. Although the discrimination between trivalent actinides and lanthanides is not good, all ligands are highly selective for thorium(IV) with the best separation factor achieved in the case of hexameric ligand 5 (D_Th/D_Ln>24).     

Comparison of covalency in the complexes of trivalent actinide and lanthanide cations

The complexes of trivalent actinide (Am(III) and Cm(III)) and lanthanide (Nd(III) and Sm(III)) cations with bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinic acid, bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)monothiophosphinic acid, and bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)dithiophosphinic acid in n-dodecane have been studied by visible absorption spectroscopy and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements in order to understand the chemical interactions responsible for the great selectivity the dithiophosphinate ligand exhibits for trivalent actinide cations in liquid-liquid extraction. Under the conditions studied, each type of ligand displays a different coordination mode with trivalent f-element cations. The phosphinate ligand coordinates as hydrogen-bonded dimers, forming M(HL2)3. Both the oxygen and the sulfur donor of the monothiophosphinate ligand can bind the cations, affording both bidentate and monodentate ligands. The dithiophosphinate ligand forms neutral bidentate complexes, ML3, with no discernible nitrate or water molecules in the inner coordination sphere. Comparison of the Cm(III), Nd(III), and Sm(III) XAFS shows that the structure and metal-donor atom bond distances are indistinguishable within experimental error for similarly sized trivalent lanthanide and actinide cations, despite the selectivity of bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)dithiophosphinic acid for trivalent actinide cations over trivalent lanthanide cations.     

Spectroscopic study on the photophysical properties of novel lanthanide complexes with long chain mono-L phthalate (L=hexadecyl, octadecyl and eicosyl)

Ortho-phthalic anhydride was modified with long chain alcohol (1-hexadecanol, 1-octadecanol and 1-eicosanol) to their corresponding mono-L phthalate (L=hexadecyl, octadecyl and eicosyl), i.e. monohexadecyl phthalate (16-Phth), monooctadecyl phthalate (18-Phth), and monoeicosyl phthalate (20-Phth), respectively. Nine novel lanthanide (Eu(3+), Tb(3+) and Dy(3+)) complexes with these three mono-L phthalate ligands were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis and IR spectra. The photophysical properties of these complexes were studied in detail with various spectroscopes such as ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra, low temperature phosphorescence spectra and fluorescent spectra. The ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra show some band shifts with the different chain-length of phthalate monoester and homologous lanthanide complexes. From the low temperature phosphorescent emission, the triplet state energies for these three ligands were determined to be around 22,650 cm(-1) (16-Phth), 23,095 cm(-1) (18-Phth) and 22,400 cm(-1) (20-Phth), respectively, suggesting they are suitable for the sensitization of the luminescence of Eu(3+), Tb(3+) and Dy(3+). The fluorescence excitation and emission spectra for these lanthanides complexes of the three ligands take agreement with the above predict from energy match.     

Sequential separation of actinides and lanthanides by extraction chromatography using a CMPO-TBP/XAD7 column

CMPO/TBP sorbed on Amberlite XAD7 resin was used for the separation of actinides and lanthanides from nitric acid solutions by extraction chromatography. The distribution ratios of actinides and lanthanide fission products (Ce, Eu) as a function of acid concentration and some complexing agents were determined. In strong HNO₃ medium (>1 mol/l) the tri-, tetra- and hexavalent actinides as well as the lanthanides have shown great affinity for the CMPO/TBP/XAD7 sorbent. The same behavior was found in HCl medium except for trivalent actinides and lanthanides which show lower distribution values in the same acid range. The effect of some complexing agents as DTPA and ammonium oxalate were also investigated. In DTPA only hexavalent actinides showed higher distribution value. On the basis of these differences, an alternative procedure for actinide-lanthanide separation and actinides from each other is proposed.