Defining chemical species in complex environments using K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy: vanadium in intact blood cells and Henze solution from the tunicate Ascidia ceratodes

A K-edge X-ray absorption spectrum (XAS) fitting approach has been developed to speciate elements of interest in complex materials and used here to model the storage of biological vanadium within whole blood cells from the tunicate Ascidia ceratodes. The response of the K-edge XAS of solution-phase V(III) to increasing c(sulfate) at constant pH 1.8 produced specific and systematic effects in the preedge transition at 5468.8 eV (preedge transitions: 1s-->4A2 at 5464.9 +/- 0.1 eV, 1s-->4T2 at 5466.9 +/- 0.1 eV, and 1s-->4T1 at 5468.8 +/- 0.1 eV for 11 different V(III)/sulfate solutions). In contrast, variations in acidity (as pH) at constant c(sulfate) systematically modified the V(III) preedge XAS at 5466.9 eV. The energy position of the K-edge absorption maximum also serially shifted -0.32 eV/pH unit, from 5483.7 eV (pH 3.0) to 5484.7 eV (pH 0.3). Fits to the V-K XAS of two samples of A. ceratodes whole blood cells representing dozens of animals implied storage of V(III) ions in four predominant solution regimes: approximately 10% high sulfate/pH 0 acid; approximately 40% high sulfate/pH 1.8 acid; approximately 40% moderate sulfate/pH 1.8 acid; approximately 10% moderate sulfate/pH 3 acid. For lysed blood cells, the best fit represented 63% of the V(III) in a pH 1.6 sulfate-free environment and a further 16% in acidic sulfate solution. Nearly 18% of lysed cells vanadium(III) appeared in a tris(catecholate)-like environment. A detailed speciation of biological vanadium complex ions was calculated from these fits by application of the known equilibrium constants governing V(III) and sulfate in acidic aqueous solution. The utility of blood cell V(III) to ascidians is discussed. Fits to K-edge XAS spectra using the XAS spectra of appropriate models are suggested to be generally applicable to elucidating the state of metal ions in a wide variety of complex environments.