Alkali-metal ion coordination in uranyl(VI) poly-peroxide complexes in solution. Part 1 : the Li+, Na+ and K+ - peroxide-hydroxide systems

• The alkali metal ions Li+, Na+ and K+ have a profound influence on the stoichiometry of the complexes formed in uranyl(VI)-peroxide-hydroxide systems, presumably as a result of a templating effect, resulting in the formation of two complexes, M[(UO2)(O-2)(OH)](2)(-) where the uranyl units are linked by one peroxide bridge, mu-eta(2)-eta(2), with the second peroxide coordinated "end-on", eta(2), to one of the uranyl groups, and M[(UO2)(O-2)(OH)](4)(3-), with a four-membered ring of uranyl ions linked by mu-eta(2)-eta(2) peroxide bridges. The stoichiometry and equilibrium constants for the reactions: M+ + 2UO(2)(2+) + 2HO(2)(-) + 2H(2)O -> M[(UO2)(O-2)(OH)] 2 - + 4H(+) (1) and M+ + 4UO(2)(2+) + 4HO(2)(-) + 4H(2)O -> M[(UO2)(O-2)(OH)](4)(3-) + 8H(+) (2) have been measured at 25 degrees C in 0.10 M (tetramethyl ammonium/M+)NO3 ionic media using reaction calorimetry. Both reactions are strongly enthalpy driven with large negative entropies of reaction; the observation that Delta H(2) approximate to 2 Delta H(1) suggests that the enthalpy of reaction is approximately the same when peroxide is added in bridging and "end-on" positions. The thermodynamic driving force in the reactions is the formation of strong peroxide bridges and the role of M+ cations is to provide a pathway with a low activation barrier between the reactants and in this way "guide" them to form peroxide bridged complexes; they play a similar role as in the synthesis of crown-ethers. Quantum chemical (QC) methods were used to determine the structure of the complexes, and to demonstrate how the size of the M+-ions affects their coordination geometry. There are several isomers of Na[(UO2)(O-2)(OH)](2)(-) and QC energy calculations show that the ones with a peroxide bridge are substantially more stable than the ones with hydroxide bridges. There are isomers with different coordination sites for Na+ and the one with coordination to the peroxide bridge and two uranyl oxygen atoms is the most stable one.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Water Exchange-Reaction

Basis-Sets

Chemical-Equilibria

Free-Energy

Solvation

Pseudopotentials

Hydrogen

Atoms

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)