ABSTRACT
The complexation of trivalent lanthanides and minor actinides (Am3+, Cm3+, and Cf3+) by the acyclic aminopolycarboxylate chelators 6,6'-((ethane-1,2-diylbis-((carboxymethyl)azanediyl))bis-(methylene))dipicolinic acid (H4octapa) and 6,6'-((((4-(1-(2-(2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)pyridine-2,6-diyl)bis-(methylene))bis-((carboxymethyl)azanediyl))bis-(methylene)) dipicolinic acid (H4pypa-peg) were studied using potentiometry, spectroscopy, competitive complexation liquid-liquid extraction, and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Two studied reagents are strong multidentate chelators, well-suited for applications seeking radiometal coordination for in-vivo delivery and f-element isolation. The previously reported H4octapa forms a compact coordination packet, while H4pypa-peg is less sterically constrained due to the presence of central pyridine ring. The solubility of H4octapa is limited in a non-complexing high ionic strength perchlorate media. However, the introduction of a polyethylene glycol group in H4pypa-peg increased the solubility without influencing its ability to complex the lanthanides and minor actinides in solution.
ABSTRACT
The separation of trivalent lanthanides and actinides is challenging because of their similar sizes and charge densities. S-donating extractants have shown significant selectivity for trivalent actinides over lanthanides, with single-stage americium/lanthanide separation efficiencies for some thiol-based extractants reported at >99.999%. While such separations could transform the nuclear waste management landscape, these systems are often limited by the hydrolytic and radiolytic stability of the extractant. Progress away from thiol-based systems is limited by the poorly understood and complex interactions of these extractants in organic phases, where molecular aggregation and micelle formation obfuscates assessment of the metal-extractant coordination environment. Because S-donating thioethers are generally more resistant to hydrolysis and oxidation and the aqueous phase coordination chemistry is anticipated to lack complications brought on by micelle formation, we have considered three thioethers, 2,2'-thiodiacetic acid (TDA), (2R,5S)-tetrahydrothiophene-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, and 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylic acid (TPA), as possible trivalent actinide selective reagents. Formation constants, extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, and computational studies were completed for thioether complexes with a variety of trivalent lanthanides and actinides including Nd, Eu, Tb, Am, Cm, Bk, and Cf. TPA was found to have moderately higher selectivity for the actinides because of its ability to bind actinides in a different manner than lanthanides, but the utility of TPA is limited by poor water solubility and high rigidity. While significant competition with water for the metal center limits the efficacy of aqueous-based thioethers for separations, the characterization of these solution-phase, S-containing lanthanide and actinide complexes is the most comprehensively available in the literature to date. This is due to the breadth of lanthanides and actinides considered as well as the techniques deployed and serves as a platform for the further development of S-containing reagents for actinide separations. Additionally, this paper reports on the first bond lengths for Cf and Bk with a neutral S donor.
ABSTRACT
The trivalent f-element coordination chemistry of a novel aminopolycarboxylate complexant was investigated. The novel reagent is an octadentate complexant that resembles diethylenetriamine-N,N,N',Nâ³,Nâ³-pentaacetic acid (DTPA), but a single N-acetate pendant arm was substituted with a N-2-pyrazinylmethyl functional group. Thermodynamic studies of ligand protonation and trivalent lanthanide, americium and curium, complexation by N-2-pyrazinylmethyldiethylenetriamine-N,N',Nâ³,Nâ³-tetraacetic acid (DTTA-PzM) emphasize the strong electron withdrawing influence of the N-2-pyrazinylmethyl group. Specifically, DTTA-PzM is more acidic compared to a N-2-pyridinylmethyl-substituted structural equivalent, DTTA-PyM, with a substantial lowering of pK7, corresponding to the protonation of a second aliphatic amine site. The participation of the pyrizyl nitrogen in the metal ion coordination sphere is evident from the fluorescence lifetime decay measurements of metal hydration and the interpretation of the stability constants for ML- and MHL(aq) complexes. The overall conditional stability constants for the trivalent f-element complexation by DTTA-PzM complexes decrease, relative to DTTA-PyM, as expected based on the lower basicity of pyrazine in water relative to pyridine. Replacement of the N-2-pyridinylmethyl group with N-2-pyrazinylmethyl, while enhancing the total acidity of DTTA-PzM, also reduces its softness, as manifested by a small lowering of ß101Am/Nd and liquid-liquid separation of trivalent lanthanides from trivalent americium. Despite this, the 4f/5f separation is doubled when DTTA-PzM replaces DTPA as an aqueous complexant in solvent extraction.
ABSTRACT
The thermodynamic influence of a pre-organized N-donor group on the coordination of trivalent actinides and lanthanides by an aqueous aminopolycarboxylate complexant has been investigated. The synthesized reagent, N-2-methylpicolinate-ethylenediamine-N,N',N'-triacetic acid (EDTA-Mpic), resembles ethylenediamine-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EDTA) with a single acetate pendant arm replaced by a 6-carboxypyridin-2-ylmethyl group. The rigid N-donor picolinate functionality has a profound impact on ligand protonation and trivalent f element complexation equilibria, as demonstrated by potentiometric, spectroscopic, and liquid/liquid metal-partitioning studies as well as by molecular dynamics calculations. Relative to diethylenetriamine-N,N,N',N'',N''-pentaacetic acid (DTPA), the ability to preferentially bind trivalent actinides over trivalent lanthanides was moderately lowered due to the presence of the N-(6-carboxypyridin-2-ylmethyl) substituent. The structural modification substantially amplifies the total ligand acidity of EDTA-Mpic. As a result the complexant sustains the metal complexation and efficient An3+ /Ln3+ differentiation in aqueous mixtures of unprecedented acidity for this class of reagents.
ABSTRACT
The novel metal chelator N-2-(pyridylmethyl)diethylenetriamine-N,N',Nâ³,Nâ³-tetraacetic acid (DTTA-PyM) was designed to replace a single oxygen-donor acetate group of the well-known aminopolycarboxylate complexant diethylenetriamine-N,N,N',Nâ³,Nâ³-pentaacetic acid (DTPA) with a nitrogen-donor 2-pyridylmethyl. Potentiometric, spectroscopic, computational, and radioisotope distribution methods show distinct differences for the 4f and 5f coordination environments and enhanced actinide binding due to the nitrogen-bearing heterocyclic moiety. The Am3+, Cm3+, and Ln3+ complexation studies for DTTA-PyM reveal an enhanced preference, relative to DTPA, for trivalent actinide binding. Fluorescence studies indicate no changes to the octadentate coordination of trivalent curium, while evidence of heptadentate complexation of trivalent europium is found in mixtures containing EuHL(aq) complexes at the same aqueous acidity. The denticity change observed for Eu3+ suggests that complex protonation occurs on the pyridyl nitrogen. Formation of the CmHL(aq) complex is likely due to the protonation of an available carboxylate group because the carbonyl oxygen can maintain octadentate coordination through a rotation. The observed suppressed protonation of the pyridyl nitrogen in the curium complexes may be attributed to stronger trivalent actinide binding by DTTA-PyM. Density functional theory calculations indicate that added stabilization of the actinide complexes with DTTA-PyM may originate from π-back-bonding interactions between singly occupied 5f orbitals of Am3+ and the pyridyl nitrogen. The differences between the stabilities of trivalent actinide chelates (Am3+, Cm3+) and trivalent lanthanide chelates (La3+-Lu3+) are observed in liquid-liquid extraction systems, yielding unprecedented 4f/5f differentiation when using DTTA-PyM as an aqueous holdback reagent. In addition, the enhanced nitrogen-donor softness of the new DTTA-PyM chelator was perturbed by adding a fluorine onto the pyridine group. The comparative characterization of N-(3-fluoro-2-pyridylmethyl)diethylenetriamine-N,N',Nâ³,Nâ³-tetraacetic acid (DTTA-3-F-PyM) showed subdued 4f/5f differentiation due to the presence of this electron-withdrawing group.
ABSTRACT
The novel metal ion complexant N-butyl-2-acetamide-diethylenetriamine-N,N',N'',N''-tetraacetic acid (DTTA-BuA) uses an amide functionalization to increase the total ligand acidity and attain efficient 4f/5f differentiation in low pH conditions. The amide, when located on the diethylenetriamine platform containing four acetate pendant arms maintains the octadentate coordination sphere for all investigated trivalent f-elements. This compact coordination environment inhibits the protonation of LnL- complexes, as indicated by lower K111 constants relative to the corresponding protonation site of the free ligand. For actinide ions, the enhanced stability of AnL- lowers the K111 for americium and curium beyond the aptitude of potentiometric detection. Density functional theory computations indicate the difference in the back-donation ability of Am3+ and Eu3+ f-orbitals is mainly responsible for stronger proton affinity of EuL- compared to AmL-. The measured stability constants for the formation of AmL- and CmL- complexes are consistently higher, relative to ML- complexes with lanthanides of similar charge density. When compared with the conventional aminopolycarboxylate diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA), the modified DTTA-BuA complexant features higher ligand acidity and the important An3+/Ln3+ differentiation when deployed on a liquid-liquid distribution platform.
ABSTRACT
Optical absorption features for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] transitions of trivalent americium ion were investigated in a wide range of aqueous combinations of perchloric and nitric acids (0.1-6.0 mol L-1). The developed qualitative matrix of extinction coefficients measures the cumulative impact of increasing electrolyte content, changes in the hydration zones of americium ion, and inner-sphere perturbation by nitrate on the absorbance. The effects of growing complexity of aqueous electrolyte medium were highlighted for the [Formula: see text] transition. Spectroscopy indicates the perturbation of the inner hydration sphere of trivalent f-element by one nitrate ligand.
ABSTRACT
Potentiometric and spectroscopic techniques were combined with DFT calculations to probe the coordination environment and determine thermodynamic features of trivalent f-element complexation by N-hydroxyethyl-diethylenetriamine-N,N',Nâ³,Nâ³-tetraacetic acid, HEDTTA. Ligand protonation constants and lanthanide stability constants were determined using potentiometry. Five protonation constants were accessible in I = 2.0 M (H+/Na+)ClO4. UV-vis spectroscopy was used to determine stability constants for Nd3+ and Am3+ complexation with HEDTTA. Luminescence spectroscopy indicates two water molecules in the inner coordination sphere of the Eu/HEDTTA complex, suggesting HEDTTA is heptadentate. Luminescence data was supported by DFT calculations, which demonstrate that substitution of the acetate pendant arm by a N-hydroxyethyl group weakens the metal-nitrogen bond. This bond elongation is reflected in HEDTTA's ability to differentiate trivalent actinides from trivalent lanthanides. The trans-lanthanide Ln/HEDTTA complex stability trend is analogous to Ln/DTPA complexation; however, the loss of one chelate ring resulting from structural substitution weakens the complexation by â¼3 orders of magnitude. Successful separation of trivalent americium from trivalent lanthanides was demonstrated when HEDTTA was utilized as aqueous holdback complexant in a liquid-liquid system. Time-dependent extraction studies for HEDTTA were compared to diethylenetriamine-N,N,N',Nâ³,Nâ³-pentaacetic acid (DTPA) and N-hydroxyethyl-ethylenediamine-N,N',N'-triacetic acid (HEDTA). The results indicate substantially enhanced phase-transfer kinetic rates for mixtures containing HEDTTA.
ABSTRACT
Potentiometric and spectroscopic techniques were used to evaluate the coordination behavior and thermodynamic features of trivalent f-element complexation by diethylenetriamine-N,Nâ³-bis(acetylglycine)-N,N',Nâ³-triacetic acid (DTTA-DAG) and its di(acetylglycine ethyl ester) analogue [diethylenetriamine-N,Nâ³-bis(acetylglycine ethyl ester)-N,N',Nâ³-triacetic acid (DTTA-DAGEE)]. Protonation constants and stability constants of trivalent lanthanide complexes (except Pm3+) were determined by potentiometry. Six protonation sites and three metal-ligand complexes [ML2-, MHL-, and MH2L(aq)] were quantified for DTTA-DAG. Four protonation sites and one metal-ligand complex [ML(aq)] were observed for DTTA-DAGEE, consistent with the presence of two ester groups. Absorption spectroscopy was utilized to measure the stability constants for complexation of trivalent neodymium and americium by DTTA-DAG and trivalent neodymium by DTTA-DAGEE. The coordination environment of trivalent europium in the presence of DTTA-DAG was investigated at various acidities by luminescence lifetime measurements. Decay constants indicate one water molecule in the inner coordination sphere across the 1.0 < pH < 5.5 range, presumably due to octadentate coordination by DTTA-DAG. A trans-lanthanide pattern of complex stabilities for DTTA-DAG was found to be analogous to that observed for DTPA, with a â¼106 reduction of the complex stability. The lessened strength of complexation, relative to DTPA, was attributed to significant reduction of the total ligand basicity for DTTA-DAG due to the electronic influence of amide functionalization. When DTTA-DAG is used as an aqueous holdback complexant in liquid-liquid distribution experiments, the preferential coordination of Am3+ in the aqueous environment offers efficient An/Ln differentiation. The separation extends to pH 2 conditions, where the kinetics of phase transfer in such liquid-liquid systems are aided by the acid-catalyzed dissociation of a metal/aminopolycarboxylate complex.
ABSTRACT
The coordination behavior and thermodynamic features of complexation of trivalent lanthanides and americium by ethylenediamine-N,N'-di(acetylglycine)-N,N'-diacetic acid (EDDAG-DA) (bisamide-substituted-EDTA) were investigated by potentiometric and spectroscopic techniques. Acid dissociation constants (K(a)) and complexation constants (ß) of lanthanides (except Pm) were determined by potentiometric analysis. Absorption spectroscopy was used to determine stability constants for the binding of trivalent americium and neodymium by EDDAG-DA under similar conditions. The potentiometry revealed 5 discernible protonation constants and 3 distinct metal-ligand complexes (identified as ML(-), MHL, and MH2L(+)). Time-resolved fluorescence studies of Eu-(EDDAG-DA) solutions (at varying pH) identified a constant inner-sphere hydration number of 3, suggesting that glycine functionalities contained in the amide pendant arms are not involved in metal complexation and are protonated under more acidic conditions. The thermodynamic studies identified that f-element coordination by EDDAG-DA is similar to that observed for ethylenediamine-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EDTA). However, coordination via two amidic oxygens of EDDAG-DA lowers its trivalent f-element complex stability by roughly 3 orders of magnitude relative to EDTA.