Systematic Study of Solid-State U(VI) Photoreactivity: Long-Lived Radicalization and Electron Transfer in Uranyl Tetrachloride.

Reported are the syntheses, structural characterizations, and luminescence properties of three novel [UO2Cl4]2- bearing compounds containing substituted 1,1'-dialkyl-4,4'-bipyridinum dications (i.e., viologens). These compounds undergo photoinduced luminescence quenching upon exposure to UV radiation. This reactivity is concurrent with two phenomena: radicalization of the uranyl tetrachloride anion and photoelectron transfer to the viologen which constitutes the formal transfer of one electron from [UO2Cl4]2- to the viologen species. This behavior is elucidated using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and further probed through a series of characterization and computational techniques including Rehm-Weller analysis, time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT), and density of states (DOS). This work provides a systematic study of the photoreactivity of the uranyl unit in the solid state, an under-described aspect of fundamental uranyl chemistry.

Temperature Dependence of Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance and the Observation of Metal-Ligand Covalency in Actinide Complexes: 35Cl in Cs2UO2Cl4.

We report a study of the temperature dependence of 35Cl nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) transition energies and spin-lattice relaxation times (T1) for 235U-depleted dicesium uranyl tetrachloride (Cs2UO2Cl4) aimed at elucidating electronic interactions between the uranium center and atoms in the equatorial plane of the UO22+ ion. The transition frequency decreases slowly with temperature below 75 K and with a more rapid linear dependence above this temperature. The spin-lattice relaxation time becomes shorter with temperature, and as temperatures increase, the T1 decrease becomes nearly quadratic. The observed trends are reproduced by a model that assumes phonon-induced fluctuations of the electric field gradient tensor and partial electron delocalization from Cl to U. The fit of the theoretical model to experimental data allows a Debye temperature of 96 K to be estimated. The generalization of this approach to investigations of covalency in actinide-ligand bonding is examined.

Extraction of Nitric Acid and Uranium with DEHiBA under High Loading Conditions.

The mechanism by which high concentrations (1.5 M in n-dodecane) of N,N-di-2-ethylhexyl-isobutyramide (DEHiBA) extracts HNO3 and UO2(NO3)2 is under examination. Most prior studies have examined the extractant and the mechanism at a concentration of 1.0 M in n-dodecane; however, under the higher loading conditions that can be achieved by a higher concentration of extractant, this mechanism could change. Increased extraction of both nitric acid and uranium is observed with an increased concentration of DEHiBA. The mechanisms are examined by thermodynamic modeling of distribution ratios, 15N nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy coupled with principal component analysis (PCA). Speciation diagrams produced through thermodynamic modeling have been qualitatively reproduced through PCA of the FTIR spectra. The predominant extracted species of HNO3(DEHiBA), HNO3(DEHiBA)2, and UO2(NO3)2(DEHiBA)2 are in good agreement with prior literature reports for 1.0 M DEHiBA systems. Evidence for an additional species of either UO2(NO3)2(DEHiBA) or UO2(NO3)2(DEHiBA)2(HNO3) also contributing to the extraction of uranium species is given.

Multiplicity of Th(IV) and U(VI) HEH[EHP] Chelates at Low Temperatures from Concentrated Nitric Acid Extractions.

Organophosphorus extractants have been widely investigated for lanthanide recovery from ore and for application in the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, such as in Advanced TALSPEAK schemes. Determining the speciation of the extracted metal complex in the organic phase remains a significant challenge. A better understanding of the variability of HEH[EHP]-actinide complexes and the speciation of chelates for tetra- and hexavalent actinides can improve the predictability of actinide phase transfer in such biphasic systems. In this study, the extraction of Th(IV) and U(VI) from nitric acid media using HEH[EHP] in heptane is examined. The distribution ratio as a function of nitric acid concentration was quantified using UV-vis spectroscopy, and then the speciation of HEH[EHP]-metal complexes in the organic phase was investigated using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and low-temperature 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. In addition to perturbation of the vibrational modes proximal to the phosphonic moiety in HEH[EHP] in the FTIR spectra, the appearance of a nitrate signal was found in the organic phase following extraction from the highest acidity conditions for U(VI). The 31P NMR spectra of the organic phase at a low temperature (-70 °C) exhibited a surprising number (n) of resonances (n ≥ 7 for Th(IV) and n ≥ 11 for U(VI)), with the distribution between these resonances changing with the initial concentration of nitric acid in the aqueous phase. These results indicate that the compositions of the inner and outer spheres of the extracted actinides in the organic phase are more diverse than initially thought.

Equatorial Electronic Structure in the Uranyl Ion: Cs2UO2Cl4 and Cs2UO2Br4.

Electric field gradient (EFG) tensors in the equatorial plane of the linear UO22+ ion have been measured by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) experiments and computed by relativistic Kohn-Sham methods with and without environment embedding for Cs2UO2Cl4 and Cs2UO2Br4. This approach expands the possibilities for probing the electronic structure in uranyl complexes beyond the strongly covalent U-O bonds. The combined analyses find that one of the two largest principal EFG tensor components at the halogen sites points along the U-X bond (X = Cl, Br), and the second is parallel to the UO22+ ion; in Cs2UO2Cl4, the components are nearly equal in magnitude, whereas in Cs2UO2Br4, due to short-range bromide-cesium interactions, the equatorial component is dominant for one pair of Br sites and the axial component is larger for the second pair. The directions and relative magnitudes of the field gradient principal axes are found to be sensitive to the σ and π electron donation by the ligands and the model of the environment. Chlorine-35 NQR spectra of 235U-depleted and 235U-enriched Cs2UO2Cl4 exhibited no uranium-isotope-dependent shift, but the resonance of the depleted sample displayed a 58% broader line width.

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.

Probing the Electronic Structure of a Thorium Nitride Complex by Solid-State 15N NMR Spectroscopy.

The solid-state 15N NMR powder spectra of the thorium nitride complex, [K(18-crown-6)(THF)2][(R2N)3Th(µ-15N)Th(NR2)3] ([K][1-15N], R = SiMe3), and the thorium amide complex, [Th(NR2)3(15NH2)] (2-15N), were recorded. The spectrum for [K][1-15N] represents the first reported solid-state 15N NMR data for an actinide complex. The experimentally measured tensor spans are Ω = 847 ppm for [K][1-15N] and Ω = 237 ppm for 2-15N. Both shielding tensors exhibit axial symmetry, which for [K][1-15N] is consistent with a local rotational symmetry of its 15N-labeled nitride ligand. For 2-15N, the axial asymmetry can be rationalized by a quasi-free Th-NH2 bond rotation in the solid-state. Density functional theory calculations overestimate the tensor span somewhat for [K][1-15N], but provide isotropic shifts in good agreement with both the solid-state and solution values for both complexes. Natural localized molecular orbital analyses of the nuclear shielding reveal that the larger tensor span in [K][1-15N] vs 2-15N is primarily a consequence of more pronounced covalency of the σ(N-Th) bonds and large spin-orbit coupling due to significant Th 5f orbital contribution to those bonds, impacting the principal components of the shielding tensor perpendicular to the Th-N-Th axis. Overall, our analysis confirms the involvement of the 5f orbitals in Th-N multiple bonds and further demonstrates the value of solid-state NMR spectroscopy for interrogating actinide-ligand bonding.

Properties of Pertechnic Acid.

Dilute aqueous pertechnic acid has long been known as strong monoprotic acid that behaves as a simple pertechnetate ion in aqueous solution. As pertechnic acid concentrates by evaporation, it becomes yellow and then dark red, and dark-red crystalline material may ultimately be obtained. We show that as pertechnic acid concentrates, at least three compounds are formed: a yellow viscous liquid, a colorless (not red) crystalline solid, and a small amount of an intensely colored red-purple compound. The colorless crystalline compound melts at 118 °C and can be melted and recrystallized several times with little decomposition. The red-purple compound is apparently not stable at room temperature and quickly decomposes if it is isolated. UV-vis spectra show that Beer's law does not hold as pertechnic acid concentrates by evaporation. We report densities, 99Tc nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, and ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra for highly pure aqueous pertechnic acid (accompanied by the other technetium compounds that form) ranging from 1 to 14 M in technetium concentration.

Interdisciplinary Round-Robin Test on Molecular Spectroscopy of the U(VI) Acetate System.

A comprehensive molecular analysis of a simple aqueous complexing system-U(VI) acetate-selected to be independently investigated by various spectroscopic (vibrational, luminescence, X-ray absorption, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) and quantum chemical methods was achieved by an international round-robin test (RRT). Twenty laboratories from six different countries with a focus on actinide or geochemical research participated and contributed to this scientific endeavor. The outcomes of this RRT were considered on two levels of complexity: first, within each technical discipline, conformities as well as discrepancies of the results and their sources were evaluated. The raw data from the different experimental approaches were found to be generally consistent. In particular, for complex setups such as accelerator-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy, the agreement between the raw data was high. By contrast, luminescence spectroscopic data turned out to be strongly related to the chosen acquisition parameters. Second, the potentials and limitations of coupling various spectroscopic and theoretical approaches for the comprehensive study of actinide molecular complexes were assessed. Previous spectroscopic data from the literature were revised and the benchmark data on the U(VI) acetate system provided an unambiguous molecular interpretation based on the correlation of spectroscopic and theoretical results. The multimethodologic approach and the conclusions drawn address not only important aspects of actinide spectroscopy but particularly general aspects of modern molecular analytical chemistry.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Measurements and Electronic Structure of Pu(IV) in [(Me)4N]2PuCl6.

The synthesis, electronic structure, and characterization via single-crystal X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and magnetic susceptibility of (Me4N)2PuCl6 are reported. NMR measurements were performed to both search for the direct (239)Pu resonance and to obtain local magnetic and electronic information at the Cl site through (35)Cl and (37)Cl spectra. No signature of (239)Pu NMR was observed. The temperature dependence of the Cl spectra was simulated by diagonalizing the Zeeman and quadrupolar Hamiltonians for (35)Cl, (37)Cl, and (14)N isotopes. Electronic structure calculations predict a magnetic Γ5 triplet ground state of Pu(IV) in the crystalline electric field of the undistorted PuCl6 octahedron. A tetragonal distortion would result in a very small splitting (∼20 cm(-1)) of the triplet ground state into a nonmagnetic singlet and a doublet state. The Cl shifts have an inflection point at T ≈ 15 K, differing from the bulk susceptibility, indicating a nonmagnetic crystal field ground state. The Cl spin-lattice relaxation time is constant to T = 15 K, below which it rapidly increases, also supporting the nonmagnetic crystal field ground state.

Bridging experiment and theory: a template for unifying NMR data and electronic structure calculations.

BACKGROUND: The testing of theoretical models with experimental data is an integral part of the scientific method, and a logical place to search for new ways of stimulating scientific productivity. Often experiment/theory comparisons may be viewed as a workflow comprised of well-defined, rote operations distributed over several distinct computers, as exemplified by the way in which predictions from electronic structure theories are evaluated with results from spectroscopic experiments. For workflows such as this, which may be laborious and time consuming to perform manually, software that could orchestrate the operations and transfer results between computers in a seamless and automated fashion would offer major efficiency gains. Such tools also promise to alter how researchers interact with data outside their field of specialization by, e.g., making raw experimental results more accessible to theorists, and the outputs of theoretical calculations more readily comprehended by experimentalists. RESULTS: An implementation of an automated workflow has been developed for the integrated analysis of data from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments and electronic structure calculations. Kepler (Altintas et al. 2004) open source software was used to coordinate the processing and transfer of data at each step of the workflow. This workflow incorporated several open source software components, including electronic structure code to compute NMR parameters, a program to simulate NMR signals, NMR data processing programs, and others. The Kepler software was found to be sufficiently flexible to address several minor implementation challenges without recourse to other software solutions. The automated workflow was demonstrated with data from a [Formula: see text] NMR study of uranyl salts described previously (Cho et al. in J Chem Phys 132:084501, 2010). CONCLUSIONS: The functional implementation of an automated process linking NMR data with electronic structure predictions demonstrates that modern software tools such as Kepler can be used to construct programs that comprehensively manage complex, multi-step scientific workflows spanning several different computers. Automation of the workflow can greatly accelerate the pace of discovery, and allows researchers to focus on the fundamental scientific questions rather than mastery of specialized software and data processing techniques. Future developments that would expand the scope and power of this approach include tools to standardize data and associated metadata formats, and the creation of interactive user interfaces to allow real-time exploration of the effects of program inputs on calculated outputs.

Experimental and theoretical study of molecular response of amine bases in organic solvents.

Reorientational correlation times of various amine bases (namely, pyridine, 2,6-lutidine, 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine) and organic solvents (dichloromethane, toluene) were determined by solution-state NMR relaxation time measurements and compared with predictions from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The amine bases are reagents in complex reactions catalyzed by frustrated Lewis pairs (FLP), which display remarkable activity in metal-free H2 scission. The comparison of measured and simulated correlation times is a key test of the ability of recent MD and quantum electronic structure calculations to elucidate the mechanism of FLP activity. Correlation times were found to be in the range of 1.4-3.4 (NMR) and 1.23-5.28 ps (MD) for the amines and 0.9-2.3 (NMR) and 0.2-1.7 ps (MD) for the solvent molecules.

A thermodynamic and kinetic study of the heterolytic activation of hydrogen by frustrated borane-amine Lewis pairs.

Calorimetry is used to measure the reaction enthalpies of hydrogen (H(2)) activation by 2,6-lutidine (Lut), 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine (TMP), N-methyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine (MeTMP), and tri-tert-butylphosphine (TBP) with tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane (BCF). At 6.6 bar H(2) the conversion of the Lewis acid Lewis base pair to the corresponding ionic pair in bromobenzene at 294 K was quantitative in under 60 min. Integration of the heat release from the reaction of the Frustrated Lewis Pair (FLP) with H(2) as a function of time yields a relative rate of hydrogenation in addition to the enthalpy of hydrogenation. The half-lives of hydrogenation range from 230 s with TMP, ΔH(H2) = -31.5(0.2) kcal mol(-1), to 1400 s with Lut, ΔH(H2) = -23.4(0.4) kcal mol(-1). The (11)B nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum of B(C(6)F(5))(3) in bromobenzene exhibits three distinct traits depending on the sterics of the Lewis base; (1) in the presence of pyridine, only the dative bond adduct pyridine-B(C(6)F(5))(3) is observed; (2) in the presence of TMP and MeTMP, only the free B(C(6)F(5))(3) is observed; and (3) in the presence of Lut, both the free B(C(6)F(5))(3) and the Lut-B(C(6)F(5))(3) adduct appear in equilibrium. A measure of the change in K(eq) of Lut + B(C(6)F(5))(3) ⇔ Lut-B(C(6)F(5))(3) as a function of temperature provides thermodynamic properties of the Lewis acid Lewis base adduct, ΔH = -17.9(1.0) kcal mol(-1) and a ΔS = -49.2(2.5) cal mol(-1) K, suggesting the Lut-B(C(6)F(5))(3) adduct is more stable in bromobenzene than in toluene.

Measurement and analysis of diastereomer ratios for forensic characterization of brodifacoum.

The highly toxic anticoagulant rodenticide brodifacoum is an organic compound that has two diastereomeric forms. In this paper, we consider the hypothesis that the relative population of the diastereomers is a characteristic of forensic value for the association or source attribution of specimens of brodifacoum. In general, the stereoisomer distribution in an organic compound depends on the reagents, conditions, and methods used for synthesis and purification, and may vary over time due to differential stabilities of the stereoisomers. The stereoisomer distribution may thus serve as an identifier of the production methods and history of samples and provide a basis for comparing recovered specimens. We refer to this novel approach for signature detection as stereoisomer distribution analysis or SDA. If the stereoisomers are diastereomers, quantitative determination of the diastereomer ratio in a specimen can be performed by a number of techniques, notably gas or liquid chromatography or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. This paper describes an NMR spectroscopic analysis of ten commercial technical grade brodifacoum samples from distinct batches originating from three different sources. The results reveal detectable source-to-source and batch-to-batch variations in diastereomer ratios.

Incorporating peptides in the outer-coordination sphere of bioinspired electrocatalysts for hydrogen production.

Four new cyclic 1,5-diaza-3,7-diphosphacyclooctane ligands have been prepared and used to synthesize [Ni(P(Ph)(2)N(R)(2))(2)](2+) complexes in which R is a mono- or dipeptide. These complexes represent a first step in the development of an outer-coordination sphere for this class of complexes that can mimic the outer-coordination sphere of the active sites of hydrogenase enzymes. Importantly, these complexes retain the electrocatalytic activity of the parent [Ni(P(Ph)(2)N(Ph)(2))(2)](2+) complex in an acetonitrile solution with turnover frequencies for hydrogen production ranging from 14 to 25 s(-1) in the presence of p-cyanoanilinium trifluoromethanesulfonate and from 135 to 1000 s(-1) in the presence of protonated dimethylformamide, with moderately low overpotentials, ∼0.3 V. The addition of small amounts of water results in rate increases of 2-7 times. Unlike the parent complex, these complexes demonstrate dynamic structural transformations in solution. These results establish a building block from which larger peptide scaffolding can be added to allow the [Ni(P(R)(2)N(R')(2))(2)](2+) molecular catalytic core to begin to mimic the multifunctional outer-coordination sphere of enzymes.

Comprehensive solid-state NMR characterization of electronic structure in ditechnetium heptoxide.

A relativistic density functional theory description of the electronic structure of Tc(2)O(7) has been evaluated by comparison with solid-state (99)Tc and (17)O NMR spectroscopic data (the former isotope is a weak ß emitter). Every site in the molecule can be populated by a nucleus with favorable NMR characteristics, providing the rare opportunity to obtain a comprehensive set of chemical shift and electric field gradient tensors for a small molecular transition-metal oxide. NMR parameters were computed for the central molecule of a (Tc(2)O(7))(17) cluster using standard ZORA-optimized all-electron QZ4P basis sets for the central molecule and DZ basis sets for the surrounding atoms. The magnitudes of the predicted tensor principal values appear to be uniformly larger than those observed experimentally, but the discrepancies were within the accuracy of the approximation methods used. The convergence of the calculated and measured NMR data suggests that the theoretical analysis has validity for the quantitative understanding of structural, magnetic, and chemical properties of Tc(VII) oxides in condensed phases.

Probing the oxygen environment in UO(2)(2+) by solid-state 17O nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and relativistic density functional calculations.

A combined theoretical and solid-state (17)O nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) study of the electronic structure of the uranyl ion UO(2)(2+) in (NH(4))(4)UO(2)(CO(3))(3) and rutherfordine (UO(2)CO(3)) is presented, the former representing a system with a hydrogen-bonding environment around the uranyl oxygens and the latter exemplifying a uranyl environment without hydrogens. Relativistic density functional calculations reveal unique features of the U-O covalent bond, including the finding of (17)O chemical shift anisotropies that are among the largest for oxygen ever reported (>1200 ppm). Computational results for the oxygen electric field gradient tensor are found to be consistently larger in magnitude than experimental solid-state (17)O NMR measurements in a 7.05 T magnetic field indicate. A modified version of the Solomon theory of the two-spin echo amplitude for a spin-5/2 nucleus is developed and applied to the analysis of the (17)O echo signal of U (17)O(2)(2+).

(1)H and (13)C NMR chemical shift assignments and conformational analysis for the two diastereomers of the vitamin K epoxide reductase inhibitor brodifacoum.

Proton and (13)C NMR chemical shifts and (1)H-(1)H scalar couplings for the two diastereomers of the potent vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKOR) inhibitor brodifacoum have been determined at 293 K from acetone solutions containing both diastereomers. To facilitate difficult assignments, homo- and heteronuclear correlation spectra were acquired at 750 and 900 MHz over 268-303 K temperature range. Conformations of both diastereomers inferred from the scalar couplings and 1-D NOE measurements reveal that one diastereomer (SS/RR) adopts a strained geometry in the cyclohexene ring system of the tetralin group. The NMR spectra also show evidence of line broadening due to conformational exchange at room temperature for the SR/RS diastereomer. These assignments and conformational analyses may be useful in studies of biomolecular interactions of brodifacoum with target proteins such as VKOR and in source determination of brodifacoum.

Molecular structure and dynamics in the low temperature (orthorhombic) phase of NH3BH3.

Variable temperature 2H NMR experiments on the orthorhombic phase of selectively deuterated NH3BH3 spanning the static to fast exchange limits of the borane and amine motions are reported. New values of the electric field gradient (EFG) tensor parameters have been obtained from the static 2H spectra of V(zz) = 1.652 (+/-0.082) x 10(21) V/m(2) and eta = 0.00 +/- 0.05 for the borane hydrogens and V(zz) = 2.883 (+/-0.144) x 10(21) V/m(2) and eta = 0.00 +/- 0.05 for the amine hydrogens. The molecular symmetry inferred from the observation of equal EFG tensors for the three borane hydrogens and likewise for the three amine hydrogens is in sharp contrast with the C(s) symmetry derived from diffraction studies. The origin of the apparent discrepancy has been investigated using molecular dynamics methods in combination with electronic structure calculations of NMR parameters, bond lengths, and bond angles. The computation of parameters from a statistical ensemble rather than from a single set of atomic Cartesian coordinates gives values that are in close quantitative agreement with the 2H NMR electric field gradient tensor measurements and are more consistent with the molecular symmetry revealed by the NMR spectra.