Halide anion discrimination by a tripodal hydroxylamine ligand in gas and condensed phases.

Electrospray ionization of solutions containing a tripodal hydroxylamine ligand, H3TriNOx ([((2-tBuNOH)C6H4CH2)3N]) denoted as L, and a hydrogen halide HX: HCl, HBr and/or HI, yielded gas-phase anion complexes [L(X)]- and [L(HX2)]-. Collision induced dissociation (CID) of mixed-halide complexes, [L(HXaXb)]-, indicated highest affinity for I- and lowest for Cl-. Structures and energetics computed by density functional theory are in accord with the CID results, and indicate that the gas-phase binding preference is a manifestation of differing stabilities of the HX molecules. A high halide affinity of [L(H)]+ in solution was also demonstrated, though with a highest preference for Cl- and lowest for I-, the opposite observation of, but not in conflict with, what is observed in gas phase. The results suggest a connection between gas- and condensed-phase chemistry and computational approaches, and shed light on the aggregation and anion recognition properties of hydroxylamine receptors.

Electronic Structure and Properties of Berkelium Iodates.

The reaction of 249Bk(OH)4 with iodate under hydrothermal conditions results in the formation of Bk(IO3)3 as the major product with trace amounts of Bk(IO3)4 also crystallizing from the reaction mixture. The structure of Bk(IO3)3 consists of nine-coordinate BkIII cations that are bridged by iodate anions to yield layers that are isomorphous with those found for AmIII, CfIII, and with lanthanides that possess similar ionic radii. Bk(IO3)4 was expected to adopt the same structure as M(IO3)4 (M = Ce, Np, Pu), but instead parallels the structural chemistry of the smaller ZrIV cation. BkIII-O and BkIV-O bond lengths are shorter than anticipated and provide further support for a postcurium break in the actinide series. Photoluminescence and absorption spectra collected from single crystals of Bk(IO3)4 show evidence for doping with BkIII in these crystals. In addition to luminescence from BkIII in the Bk(IO3)4 crystals, a broad-band absorption feature is initially present that is similar to features observed in systems with intervalence charge transfer. However, the high-specific activity of 249Bk (t1/2 = 320 d) causes oxidation of BkIII and only BkIV is present after a few days with concomitant loss of both the BkIII luminescence and the broadband feature. The electronic structure of Bk(IO3)3 and Bk(IO3)4 were examined using a range of computational methods that include density functional theory both on clusters and on periodic structures, relativistic ab initio wave function calculations that incorporate spin-orbit coupling (CASSCF), and by a full-model Hamiltonian with spin-orbit coupling and Slater-Condon parameters (CONDON). Some of these methods provide evidence for an asymmetric ground state present in BkIV that does not strictly adhere to Russel-Saunders coupling and Hund's Rule even though it possesses a half-filled 5f 7 shell. Multiple factors contribute to the asymmetry that include 5f electrons being present in microstates that are not solely spin up, spin-orbit coupling induced mixing of low-lying excited states with the ground state, and covalency in the BkIV-O bonds that distributes the 5f electrons onto the ligands. These factors are absent or diminished in other f7 ions such as GdIII or CmIII.

Cleaving Off Uranyl Oxygens through Chelation: A Mechanistic Study in the Gas Phase.

Recent efforts to activate the strong uranium-oxygen bonds in the dioxo uranyl cation have been limited to single oxo-group activation through either uranyl reduction and functionalization in solution, or by collision induced dissociation (CID) in the gas-phase, using mass spectrometry (MS). Here, we report and investigate the surprising double activation of uranyl by an organic ligand, 3,4,3-LI(CAM), leading to the formation of a formal U6+ chelate in the gas-phase. The cleavage of both uranyl oxo bonds was experimentally evidenced by CID, using deuterium and 18O isotopic substitutions, and by infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy. Density functional theory (DFT) computations predict that the overall reaction requires only 132 kJ/mol, with the first oxygen activation entailing about 107 kJ/mol. Combined with analysis of similar, but unreactive ligands, these results shed light on the chelation-driven mechanism of uranyl oxo bond cleavage, demonstrating its dependence on the presence of ligand hydroxyl protons available for direct interactions with the uranyl oxygens.

Alkynes as Linchpins for the Additive Annulation of Biphenyls: Convergent Construction of Functionalized Fused Helicenes.

A new approach to fused helicenes is reported, where varied substituents are readily incorporated in the extended aromatic frame. From the alkynyl precursor, the final helical compounds are obtained under mild conditions in a two-step process, in which the final C-C bond is formed via a photochemical cyclization/ dehydroiodination sequence. The distortion of the π-system from planarity leads to unusual packing in the solid state. Computational analysis reveals that substituent incorporation perturbs geometries and electronic structures of these nonplanar aromatics.

Further evidence for the stabilization of U(V) within a tetraoxo core.

Two complex layered uranyl borates, K10[(UO2)16(B2O5)2(BO3)6O8]·7H2O (1) and K13[(UO2)19(UO4)(B2O5)2(BO3)6(OH)2O5]·H2O (2), were isolated from supercritical water reactions. Within these compounds, borate exists only as BO3 units and is found as either isolated BO3 triangles or B2O5 dimers, the latter being formed from corner sharing of two BO3 units. These anions, along with oxide and hydroxide, bridge between uranyl centers to create the complex layers in these compounds. U(VI) cations are found within uranyl, UO2(2+) units, that are bound by four or five oxygen atoms to create tetragonal and pentagonal bipyramidal environments. The most striking feature in this system is found in 2, where a [UO4(OH)2] unit exists that contains U(V) within a tetraoxo core with trans hydroxide anions; therefore, this compound is a mixed-valent U(VI)/U(V) borate. The presence of a 5f(1) uranium site within 2 leads to unusual optical properties.

Soft-donor dipicolinamide derivatives for selective actinide(iii)/lanthanide(iii) separation: the role of S- vs. O-donor sites.

Selectivity for An(iii) vs. Ln(iii) binding and extraction using dipicolinamide analogs containing the C[double bond, length as m-dash]O vs. C[double bond, length as m-dash]S groups was investigated in solution and the gas-phase, and by DFT calculations. The results show higher selectivity for complex formation and extraction for Am(iii) vs. Eu(iii) for the softer dithioamide vs. the diamide ligand, while in CH3CN the diamide binds more strongly than the thioamide to several Ln(iii), forming 1 : 1 complexes.

Reductive activation of neptunyl and plutonyl oxo species with a hydroxypyridinone chelating ligand.

Oxo group activation with reduction of neptunyl(vi) and plutonyl(vi) to tetravalent hydroxo species by the hydroxypyridinone siderophore derivative 3,4,3-LI-(1,2-HOPO) was investigated in the gas-phase via electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, in solution via Raman spectroscopy, and computationally via density functional theory. Dissociation of the gas-phase tetravalent complexes resulted in actinide-hydroxo bond cleavage.

Characterization of berkelium(III) dipicolinate and borate compounds in solution and the solid state.

Berkelium is positioned at a crucial location in the actinide series between the inherently stable half-filled 5f(7) configuration of curium and the abrupt transition in chemical behavior created by the onset of a metastable divalent state that starts at californium. However, the mere 320-day half-life of berkelium's only available isotope, (249)Bk, has hindered in-depth studies of the element's coordination chemistry. Herein, we report the synthesis and detailed solid-state and solution-phase characterization of a berkelium coordination complex, Bk(III)tris(dipicolinate), as well as a chemically distinct Bk(III) borate material for comparison. We demonstrate that berkelium's complexation is analogous to that of californium. However, from a range of spectroscopic techniques and quantum mechanical calculations, it is clear that spin-orbit coupling contributes significantly to berkelium's multiconfigurational ground state.