Measurement of local magnetic fields in actinide tetrafluorides.

Fluorine-19 magnetic shielding tensors have been measured in a series of actinide tetrafluorides (AnF4) by solid state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Tetravalent actinide centers with 0-8 valence electrons can form tetrafluorides with the same monoclinic structure type, making these compounds an attractive choice for a systematic study of the variation in the electronic structure across the 5f row of the Periodic Table. Pronounced deviations from predictions based on localized valence electron models have been detected by these experiments, which suggests that this approach may be used as a quantitative probe of electronic correlations.

Structure and Bonding Investigation of Plutonium Peroxocarbonate Complexes Using Cerium Surrogates and Electronic Structure Modeling.

Herein, we report the synthesis and structural characterization of K8[(CO3)3Pu]2(µ-η2-η2-O2)2·12H2O. This is the second Pu-containing addition to the previously studied alkali-metal peroxocarbonate series M8[(CO3)3A]2(µ-η2-η2-O2)2·xH2O (M = alkali metal; A = Ce or Pu; x = 8, 10, 12, or 18), for which only the M = Na analogue has been previously reported when A = Pu. The previously reported crystal structure for Na8[(CO3)3Pu]2(µ-η2-η2-O2)2·12H2O is not isomorphous with its known Ce analogue. However, a new synthetic route to these M8[(CO3)3A]2(µ-η2-η2-O2)2·12H2O complexes, described below, has produced crystals of Na8[(CO3)3Ce]2(µ-η2-η2-O2)2·12H2O that are isomorphous with the previously reported Pu analogue. Via this synthetic method, the M = Na, K, Rb, and Cs salts of M8[(CO3)3Ce]2(µ-η2-η2-O2)2·xH2O have also been synthesized for a systematic structural comparison with each other and the available Pu analogues using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations. The Ce salts, in particular, demonstrate subtle differences in the peroxide bond lengths, which correlate with Raman shifts for the peroxide Op-Op stretch (Op = O atoms of the peroxide bridges) with each of the cations studied: Na+ [1.492(3) Å/847 cm-1], Rb+ [1.471(1) Å/854 cm-1], Cs+ [1.474(1) Å/859 cm-1], and K+ [1.468(6) Å/870 cm-1]. The trends observed in the Op-Op bond distances appear to relate to supermolecular interactions between the neighboring cations.

Neodymium(III) Complexes of Dialkylphosphoric and Dialkylphosphonic Acids Relevant to Liquid-Liquid Extraction Systems.

The complexes formed during the extraction of neodymium(III) into hydrophobic solvents containing acidic organophosphorus extractants were probed by single-crystal X-ray diffractometry, visible spectrophotometry, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The crystal structure of the compound Nd(DMP)3 (1, DMP = dimethyl phosphate) revealed a polymeric arrangement in which each Nd(III) center is surrounded by six DMP oxygen atoms in a pseudo-octahedral environment. Adjacent Nd(III) ions are bridged by (MeO)2POO(-) anions, forming the polymeric network. The diffuse reflectance visible spectrum of 1 is nearly identical to that of the solid that is formed when an n-dodecane solution of di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (HA) is saturated with Nd(III), indicating a similar coordination environment around the Nd center in the NdA3 solid. The visible spectrum of the HA solution fully loaded with Nd(III) is very similar to that of the NdA3 material, both displaying hypersensitive bands characteristic of an pseudo-octahedral coordination environment around Nd. These spectral characteristics persisted across a wide range of organic Nd concentrations, suggesting that the pseudo-octahedral coordination environment is maintained from dilute to saturated conditions.

Time-Resolved Infrared Reflectance Studies of the Dehydration-Induced Transformation of Uranyl Nitrate Hexahydrate to the Trihydrate Form.

Uranyl nitrate is a key species in the nuclear fuel cycle. However, this species is known to exist in different states of hydration, including the hexahydrate ([UO2(NO3)2(H2O)6] often called UNH), the trihydrate [UO2(NO3)2(H2O)3 or UNT], and in very dry environments the dihydrate form [UO2(NO3)2(H2O)2]. Their relative stabilities depend on both water vapor pressure and temperature. In the 1950s and 1960s, the different phases were studied by infrared transmission spectroscopy but were limited both by instrumental resolution and by the ability to prepare the samples for transmission. We have revisited this problem using time-resolved reflectance spectroscopy, which requires no sample preparation and allows dynamic analysis while the sample is exposed to a flow of N2 gas. Samples of known hydration state were prepared and confirmed via X-ray diffraction patterns of known species. In reflectance mode the hexahydrate UO2(NO3)2(H2O)6 has a distinct uranyl asymmetric stretch band at 949.0 cm(-1) that shifts to shorter wavelengths and broadens as the sample desiccates and recrystallizes to the trihydrate, first as a shoulder growing in on the blue edge but ultimately results in a doublet band with reflectance peaks at 966 and 957 cm(-1). The data are consistent with transformation from UNH to UNT as UNT has two inequivalent UO2(2+) sites. The dehydration of UO2(NO3)2(H2O)6 to UO2(NO3)2(H2O)3 is both a structural and morphological change that has the lustrous lime green UO2(NO3)2(H2O)6 crystals changing to the matte greenish yellow of the trihydrate solid. The phase transformation and crystal structures were confirmed by density functional theory calculations and optical microscopy methods, both of which showed a transformation with two distinct sites for the uranyl cation in the trihydrate, with only one in the hexahydrate.

Chemical and spectroscopic characterization of plutonium tetrafluoride.

Anhydrous plutonium tetrafluoride is an important intermediate in the production of metallic Pu. This historically important compound is also known to exist in at least two distinct, yet understudied hydrate forms, PuF4·xH2O(s) (0.5 ≤ x ≤ 2) and PuF4·2.5H2O(s). X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are the most common tools used to characterize these materials, often in a context for studying structural and morphological changes that arise from aging or calcination. However, fundamental electronic and vibrational spectroscopic information is rather scarce. Here, we measured the visible and shortwave infrared (SWIR) diffuse reflectance, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), fluorescence and Raman spectra of PuF4(s) and PuF4·xH2O(s) to obtain a better electronic and vibrational fingerprint. Our work provides clear indication of the polymeric structure of anhydrous PuF4, consistent with the Raman spectrum of UF4(s) and its hydrates. This is supplemented with XRD, TGA and SEM analysis. Findings in this study indicate that the spectra are modified by particle size, which in turn is influenced by synthetic technique.

Multifunctional Two-Dimensional Metal-Organic Frameworks for Radionuclide Sequestration and Detection.

Two lanthanide-containing porous coordination polymers, [Ln2(bpdc)6(phen)2]·nH2O (1) and [Ln2(bpdc)6(terpy)2]·3H2O (2) (Ln = Pr, Nd, or Sm-Dy; bpdc: 2,2'-bipyridine-5,5'-dicarboxylic acid; phen: 1,10-phenanthroline; and terpy: 2,2':6',2″-terpyridine), have been hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized by powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Crystallographic analyses reveal that compounds 1 and 2 feature Ln3+-containing dimeric nodes that form a porous two-dimensional (2D) and nonporous three-dimensional (3D) framework, respectively. Each material is stable in aqueous media between pH 3 and 10 and exhibits modest thermal stability up to ∼400 °C. Notably, a portion of the phen and bpdc ligands in 1 can be removed thermally, without compromising the crystal structure, causing the surface area and pore volume to increase. The optical properties of 1 and 2 with Gd3+, Sm3+, Tb3+, and Eu3+ are explored in the solid state using absorbance, fluorescence, and lifetime spectroscopies. The analyses reveal a complex blend of metal and ligand emission in the materials containing Sm3+ and Tb3+, while those featuring Eu3+ are dominated by intense metal-based emission. Compound 1 with Eu3+ shows promise for the capture and detection of the uranyl cation (UO2)2+ from aqueous media. In short, uranyl capture is observed at pH 4, and the adsorption thereof is detectable via vibrational and fluorescence spectroscopies and colorimetrically as the off-white color of 1 turns yellow with uptake. Finally, both 1 and 2 with Eu3+ produce bright red emission upon irradiation with Cu Kα X-ray radiation (8.04 keV) and are candidate materials for applications in solid-state scintillation.

Spontaneous redox continuum reveals sequestered technetium clusters and retarded mineral transformation of iron.

The sequestration of metal ions into the crystal structure of minerals is common in nature. To date, the incorporation of technetium(IV) into iron minerals has been studied predominantly for systems under carefully controlled anaerobic conditions. Mechanisms of the transformation of iron phases leading to incorporation of technetium(IV) under aerobic conditions remain poorly understood. Here we investigate granular metallic iron for reductive sequestration of technetium(VII) at elevated concentrations under ambient conditions. We report the retarded transformation of ferrihydrite to magnetite in the presence of technetium. We observe that quantitative reduction of pertechnetate with a fraction of technetium(IV) structurally incorporated into non-stoichiometric magnetite benefits from concomitant zero valent iron oxidative transformation. An in-depth profile of iron oxide reveals clusters of the incorporated technetium(IV), which account for 32% of the total retained technetium estimated via X-ray absorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies. This corresponds to 1.86 wt.% technetium in magnetite, providing the experimental evidence to theoretical postulations on thermodynamically stable technetium(IV) being incorporated into magnetite under spontaneous aerobic redox conditions.

Identification of Uranium Minerals in Natural U-Bearing Rocks Using Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy.

The identification of minerals, including uranium-bearing species, is often a labor-intensive process using X-ray diffraction (XRD), fluorescence, or other solid-phase or wet chemical techniques. While handheld XRD and fluorescence instruments can aid in field applications, handheld infrared (IR) reflectance spectrometers can now also be used in industrial or field environments, with rapid, nondestructive identification possible via analysis of the solid's reflectance spectrum providing information not found in other techniques. In this paper, we report the use of laboratory methods that measure the IR hemispherical reflectance of solids using an integrating sphere and have applied it to the identification of mineral mixtures (i.e., rocks), with widely varying percentages of uranium mineral content. We then apply classical least squares (CLS) and multivariate curve resolution (MCR) methods to better discriminate the minerals (along with two pure uranium chemicals U3O8 and UO2) against many common natural and anthropogenic background materials (e.g., silica sand, asphalt, calcite, K-feldspar) with good success. Ground truth as to mineral content was attained primarily by XRD. Identification is facile and specific, both for samples that are pure or are partially composed of uranium (e.g., boltwoodite, tyuyamunite, etc.) or non-uranium minerals. The characteristic IR bands generate unique (or class-specific) bands, typically arising from similar chemical moieties or functional groups in the minerals: uranyls, phosphates, silicates, etc. In some cases, the chemical groups that provide spectral discrimination in the longwave IR reflectance by generating upward-going (reststrahlen) bands can provide discrimination in the midwave and shortwave IR via downward-going absorption features, i.e., weaker overtone or combination bands arising from the same chemical moieties.

CsR(R(6)CoI(12))2 (R = Gd, Er) and (CeI)0.26(Ce(6)MnI(9))2: two new structure types featuring R(6)Z clusters.

Compounds adopting two new structure types containing discrete lanthanide clusters have been found, CsR(R6CoI12)2 (R = Gd or Er) and (CeI)0.26(Ce6MnI9)2. CsEr(Er6CoI12)2 and CsGd(Gd6CoI12)2 were synthesized in reactions of CsI, RI3, CoI2, and R metals (3:19:6:23) heated to 750 degrees C for 500 h followed by slow cooling (0.1 degrees C/min). The X-ray crystal structure of CsEr(Er6CoI12)2 was solved in the Pa3 space group with a = 18.063(2) A at 250 K (Z = 4, R1 [I > 2sigma(I)] = 0.0459). (CeI)0.26(Ce6MnI9) was synthesized by combining KI, CeI3, MnI2, and Ce metal and heating to 850 degrees C for 500 h. The single-crystal X-ray structure for (CeI)0.26(Ce6MnI9)2 was solved in the trigonal, P3 (147) space group with lattice parameters of a = 11.695(1) A and c = 10.8591(2) A (Z = 2, R1 [I > 2sigma(I)] = 0.0895). Elemental analyses (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS)) were performed and show the absence of potassium in the structure. A disorder model was refined for the atoms in the large cavity. The magnetic susceptibility data for CsGd(Gd6CoI12)2 is consistent with strong intracluster ferromagnetic coupling, but intercluster antiferromagnetic coupling suppresses the susceptibility below 70 K.

Ferromagnetic coupling in hexanuclear gadolinium clusters.

The magnetic susceptibilities of hexanuclear gadolinium clusters in the compounds Gd(Gd6ZI12) (Z = Co, Fe, or Mn) and CsGd(Gd6CoI12)2 are reported and subjected to theoretical analysis with the help of density functional theory (DFT) computations. The single-crystal structure of Gd(Gd6CoI12) is reported here as well. We find that the compound with a closed shell of cluster bonding electrons, Gd(Gd6CoI12), exhibits the effects of antiferromagnetic coupling over the entire range of temperatures measured (4-300 K). Clusters with unpaired, delocalized cluster bonding electrons (CBEs) exhibit enhanced susceptibilities consistent with strong ferromagnetic coupling, except at lower temperatures (less than 30 K) where intercluster antiferromagnetic coupling suppresses the susceptibilities. The presence of two unpaired CBEs, as in [Gd6MnI12]3-, yields stronger coupling than when just one unpaired CBE is present, as in [Gd6FeI12]3- or [Gd6CoI12]2-. DFT calculations on model molecular systems, [Gd6CoI12](OPH3)6 and [Gd6CoI12]2(OPH3)10, indicate that the delocalized cluster bonding electrons are highly effective at mediating intracluster ferromagnetic exchange coupling between the Gd atom 4f7 moments and that intercluster coupling is expected to be antiferromagnetic. The DFT calculations were used to calculate the relative energies of various 4f7 spin patterns and form the basis for construction of a simple spin Hamiltonian describing the coupling within the [Gd6CoI12] cluster.