Coordination and Thermodynamics of Trivalent Curium with Malonate at Increased Temperatures: A Spectroscopic and Quantum Chemical Study.

The complexation of Cm(III) with malonate is studied by time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) in the temperature range from 25 to 90 °C. Three complexes ([Cm(Mal)n]3-2n, n = 1, 2, 3) are identified and their molar fractions are determined as a function of the ligand concentration, the ionic strength, and the temperature. A general shift of the chemical equilibrium toward higher complexes with increasing temperature is observed, with the [CmMal3]3- complex forming only at T > 40 °C. The conditional stability constants (log K'n(T)) are calculated and extrapolated to Im = 0 with the specific ion interaction theory (SIT). The log Kn0(T) values increase by 0.25 to 0.5 logarithmic unit in the studied temperature range. The temperature dependency of the log K°n(T) is fitted by the integrated Van't Hoff equation, yielding the thermodynamic functions ΔrH°m and ΔrS°m. The results show positive reaction enthalpies and entropies for each complexation step. While the ΔrH°n values are constant within their error range, the ΔrS°n values decrease successively with each ligand added. To explain this effect, quantum chemical calculations of binding energies and bond lengths of the different Cm(III) malonate species are performed. The results show that malonate is capable of stabilizing its end-on coordination mode to some extent by forming hydrogen bonds to first-shell water molecules. As a result, an equilibrium between side-on and end-on coordinated malonate ligands is present, with the latter becoming more pronounced for the higher complexes due to steric reasons.

Combined EXAFS Spectroscopic and Quantum Chemical Study on the Complex Formation of Am(III) with Formate.

The complexation of Am(III) with formate in aqueous solution is studied as a function of the pH value using a combination of extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy, iterative transformation factor analysis (ITFA), and quantum chemical calculations. The Am LIII-edge EXAFS spectra are analyzed to determine the molecular structure (coordination numbers; Am-O and Am-C distances) of the formed Am(III)-formate species and to track the shift of the Am(III) speciation with increasing pH. The experimental data are compared to predictions from density functional calculations. The results indicate that formate binds to Am(III) in a monodentate fashion, in agreement with crystal structures of lanthanide formates. Furthermore, the investigations are complemented by thermodynamic speciation calculations to verify further the results obtained.

The pH dependence of Am(III) complexation with acetate: an EXAFS study.

The complexation of acetate with Am(III) is studied as a function of the pH (1-6) by extended X-ray absorption fine-structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. The molecular structure of the Am(III)-acetate complexes (coordination numbers, oxygen and carbon distances) is determined from the raw k(3)-weighted Am LIII-edge EXAFS spectra. The results show a continuous shift of Am(III) speciation with increasing pH value towards the complexed species. Furthermore, it is verified that acetate coordinates in a bidentate coordination mode to Am(III) (Am-C distance: 2.82 ± 0.03 Å). The EXAFS data are analyzed by iterative transformation factor analysis to further verify the chemical speciation, which is calculated on the basis of thermodynamic constants, and the used structural model. The experimental results are in very good agreement with the thermodynamic modelling.

An EXAFS spectroscopic study of Am(III) complexation with lactate.

The pH dependence (1-7) of Am(III) complexation with lactate in aqueous solution is studied using extended X-ray absorption fine-structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. Structural data (coordination numbers, Am--O and Am--C distances) of the formed Am(III)-lactate species are determined from the raw k(3)-weighted Am LIII-edge EXAFS spectra. Between pH 1 and pH 6, Am(III) speciation shifts continuously towards complexed species with increasing pH. At higher pH, the amount of complexed species decreases due to formation of hydroxo species. The coordination numbers and distances (3.41-3.43 Å) of the coordinating carbon atoms clearly point out that lactate is bound `side-on' to Am(III) through both the carboxylic and the α-hydroxy function of lactate. The experimentally determined coordination numbers are compared with speciation calculations on the basis of tabulated thermodynamic stability constants. Both EXAFS data and thermodynamic modelling are in very good agreement. The EXAFS spectra are also analyzed by iterative transformation factor analysis to further verify the determined Am(III) speciation and the used structural model.

Combined time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy study on the complexation of trivalent actinides with chloride at T = 25-200 °C.

The complexation of trivalent actinides (An(III)) with chloride is studied in the temperature range from 25 to 200 °C by spectroscopic methods. Time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) is applied to determine the thermodynamic data of Cm(III)-Cl(-) complexes, while extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) is used to determine the structural data of the respective Am(III) complexes. The experiments are performed in a custom-built high-temperature cell which is modified for the respective spectroscopic technique. The TRLFS results show that at 25 °C the speciation is dominated mainly by the Cm(3+) aquo ion. Only a minor fraction of the CmCl(2+) complex is present in solution. As the temperature increases, the fraction of this species decreases further. Simultaneously, the fraction of the CmCl2(+) complex increases strongly with the temperature. Also, the CmCl3 complex is formed to a minor extent at T > 160 °C. The conditional stability constant log ß'2 is determined as a function of the temperature and extrapolated to zero ionic strength with the specific ion interaction theory approach. The log ß°2(T) values increase by more than 3 orders of magnitude in the studied temperature range. The temperature dependency of log ß°2 is fitted by the extended van't Hoff equation to determine ΔrH°m, ΔrS°m, and ΔrC°p,m. The EXAFS results support these findings. The results confirm the absence of americium(III) chloride complexes at T = 25 and 90 °C ([Am(III)] = 10(-3) m, [Cl(-)] = 3.0 m), and the spectra are described by 9-10 oxygen atoms at a distance of 2.44-2.48 Å. At T = 200 °C two chloride ligands are present in the inner coordination sphere of Am(III) at a distance of 2.78 Å.

Speciation of Np(V) uptake by Opalinus Clay using synchrotron microbeam techniques.

Synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy has been used to determine the chemical speciation of Np sorbed on Opalinus Clay (OPA, Mont Terri, Switzerland), a natural argillaceous rock revealing a micro-scale heterogeneity. Different sorption and diffusion samples with Np(V) were prepared for spatially resolved molecular-level investigations. Thin sections of OPA contacted with Np(V) solution under aerobic and anaerobic conditions as well as a diffusion sample were analysed spatially resolved. Micro-X-ray fluorescence (µ-XRF) mapping has been used to determine the elemental distributions of Np, Fe and Ca. Regions of high Np concentration were subsequently investigated by micro-X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy to determine the oxidation state of Np. Further, micro-X-ray diffraction (µ-XRD) was employed to gain knowledge about reactive crystalline mineral phases in the vicinity of Np enrichments. One thin section was also analysed by electron microprobe to determine the elemental distributions of the lighter elements (especially Si and Al), which represent the main elements of OPA. The results show that in most samples, Np spots with considerable amounts of Np(IV) could be found even when the experiments were carried out in air. In some cases, almost pure Np(IV) L(III)-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectra were recorded. In the case of the anaerobic sample, the µ-XRF mapping showed a clear correlation between Np and Fe, indicating that the reduction of Np(V) is caused by an iron(II)-containing mineral which could be identified by µ-XRD as pyrite. These spatially resolved investigations were complemented by extended X-ray absorption fine structure measurements of powder samples from batch experiments under aerobic and anaerobic conditions to determine the structural parameters of the near-neighbour environment of sorbed Np.

A spectroscopic study of the complexation reaction of trivalent lanthanides with a synthetic acrylate based PCE-superplasticizer.

The interaction between different trivalent lanthanides and a synthetic acrylate based PCE-superplasticizer (52IPEG4.5) is investigated by using a combination of laser- and synchrotron based spectroscopic techniques. Time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) is used to obtain thermodynamic data (stability constants (log ß'(T)), reaction enthalpy (ΔrH) and entropy(ΔrS)) of the complexation reaction of Eu(III) and 52IPEG4.5 as a function of the temperature (20-80 °C) and ligand concentration (<2 g/kg) in 0.1 mol/kg NaCl solution. Under the chosen experimental conditions, the increase in temperature mainly affects the complexation properties (loading capacity) of the macromolecule itself rather than the stability constant of the formed complex (log ß'(T) ranging between 6.5 and 5.9). The thermodynamic results are complemented by extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopic measurements to resolve the molecular structure of 52IPEG4.5 complexes with Eu(III), Gd(III), and Tb(III). The results show, that each metal ion is coordinated by three carboxylic groups within the 52IPEG4.5 complexes. Furthermore, the determined interatomic distances exhibit that the functional groups are attached in a bidentate end-on fashion.

A thermodynamical and structural study on the complexation of trivalent lanthanides with a polycarboxylate based concrete superplasticizer.

The complexation of trivalent lanthanides with a commercial polycarboxylate based concrete superplasticizer (Glenium® 51) is investigated using different spectroscopic techniques. Time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) in combination with a charge neutralization model is used to determine temperature dependent conditional stability constants (log ß'(T)) for the complexation of Eu(iii) with Glenium® 51 in 0.1 mol kg-1 NaCl solution in the temperature range of 20-90 °C. Only one complex species is observed, and log ß'(T) (given in kg per mol eq) shows a very slight increase with temperature from 7.5 to 7.9. The related conditional molar reaction enthalpy (ΔrH'm) and entropy (ΔrS'm) obtained using the Van't Hoff equation show that the complexation reaction is slightly endothermic and entropy driven. The thermodynamic investigations are complemented by structural data for complexes formed with Gd(iii) or Tb(iii) and Glenium® 51 using extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. The results imply a non-chelate coordination of the trivalent metals through approximately three carboxylic functions of the polycarboxylate comb polymer which are attached predominantly in a bidentate fashion to the lanthanide under the given experimental conditions.

Interaction of Cm(III) and Am(III) with human serum transferrin studied by time-resolved laser fluorescence and EXAFS spectroscopy.

The complexation of Cm(III) with human serum transferrin was investigated in a pH range from 3.5 to 11.0 using time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS). At pH ≥ 7.4 Cm(III) is incorporated at the Fe(III) binding site of transferrin whereas at lower pH a partially bound Cm(III) transferrin species is formed. At physiological temperature (310 K) at pH 7.4, about 70% of the partially bound and 30% of the incorporated Cm(III) transferrin species are present in solution. The Cm(III) results obtained by TRLFS are in very good agreement with Am(III) EXAFS results, confirming the incorporation of Am(III) at the Fe(III) binding site at pH 8.5.

Fulvic acid complexation of Eu(III) and Cm(III) at elevated temperatures studied by time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy.

The interaction of Eu(III) and Cm(III) with three different aquatic fulvic acids (FA) was studied as a function of the temperature (T = 20-80 °C) in 0.1 M NaCl solution by time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy. The speciation of both trivalent metal ions was determined by peak deconvolution of the recorded fluorescence spectra. For each studied metal ion-FA system only one complexed species is formed under the given experimental conditions. The stability constants at 20, 40, 60 and 80 °C (log ß'(T)) were determined according to the charge neutralization model. The log ß' (20 °C) for the different FAs show similar values (log ß(20 °C) = 5.60-6.29). The stability constants increase continuously with increasing temperature by approximately 0.3-1.0 orders of magnitude. The reaction enthalpies and entropies are derived from the integrated Van't Hoff equation. The results show that all investigated complexation reactions are endothermic and entropy-driven.

A spectroscopic study on the formation of Cm(III) acetate complexes at elevated temperatures.

The complexation of Cm(III) with acetate is studied by time resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) as a function of ionic strength, ligand concentration, temperature and background electrolyte (NaClO4, NaCl and CaCl2 solution). The speciation of Cm(III) is determined by peak deconvolution of the emission spectra. To obtain the thermodynamic stability constants (log K) for the formation of [Cm(Ac)n](3-n) (n = 1-3), the experimental data are extrapolated to zero ionic strength according to the specific ion interaction theory (SIT). The results show a continuous increase of the stability constants with increasing temperature (20-90 °C). The standard reaction enthalpies and entropies (ΔrH, ΔrS) of the respective reactions are derived from the integrated Van't Hoff equation. The results show that all complexation steps are endothermic and thus entropy driven (ΔrH and ΔrS > 0).