Stability and Solution Structure of Binary and Ternary Cu(II) Complexes with l-Glutamic Acid and Diamines as Well as Adducts in Metal-Free Systems in Aqueous Solution

Competitive exchange between divalent metal ions [Cu(II), Zn(II), Ca(II)] and Hg(II) bound to thiols and natural organic matter

Mercuric Hg(II) ion forms exceptionally strong complexes with various organic ligands, particularly thiols and dissolved organic matter (DOM) in natural water. Few studies, however, have experimentally determined whether or not the presence of base cations and transition metal ions, such as Ca(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II), would compete with Hg(II) bound to these ligands, as concentrations of these metal ions are usually orders of magnitude higher than Hg(II) in aquatic systems. Different from previous model predictions, a significant fraction of Hg(II) bound to cysteine (CYS), glutathione (GSH), or DOM was found to be competitively exchanged by Cu(II), but not by Zn(II) or Ca(II). About 20-75% of CYS-bound-Hg(II) [at 2:1 CYS:Hg(II)] and 14-40% of GSH-bound-Hg(II) [at 1:1 GSH:Hg(II)] were exchanged by Cu(II) at concentrations 1-3 orders of magnitude greater than Hg(II). Competitive exchange was also observed between Cu(II) and Hg(II) bound to DOM, albeit to a lower extent, depending on relative abundances of thiol and carboxylate functional groups on DOM and their equilibrium time with Hg(II). When complexed with ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA), most Hg(II) could be exchanged by Cu(II) and Zn(II), as well as Ca(II) at increasing concentrations. These results shed additional light on competitive exchange reactions between Hg(II) and coexisting metal ions and have important implications in Hg(II) chemical speciation and biogeochemical transformation, particularly in contaminated environments containing relatively high concentrations of Hg(II) and metal ions.

Glutamic acid leaching of synthetic covellite - A model system combining experimental data and geochemical modeling

For Kupferschiefer mining established pyrometallurgical and acidic bioleaching methods face numerous problems. This is due to the finely grained and dispersed distribution of the copper minerals, the complex mineralogy, comparably low copper content, and the possibly high carbonate and organic content in this ore. Leaching at neutral pH seemed worth a try: At neutral pH the abundant carbonates do not need to be dissolved and therewith would not consume excessive amounts of provided acids. Certainly, copper solubility at neutral pH is reduced compared to an acidic environment; however, if copper complexing ligands would be supplied abundantly, copper contents in the mobile phase could easily reach the required economic level. We set up a model system to study the effect of parameters such as pH, microorganisms, microbial metabolites, and organic ligands on covellite leaching to get a better understanding of the processes in copper leaching at pH ≥ 6. With this model system we could show that glutamic acid and the microbial siderophore desferrioxamine B promote covellite dissolution. Both experimental and modeling data showed that pH is an important parameter in covellite dissolution. An increase of pH from 6 to 9 could elevate copper extraction in the presence of glutamic acid by a factor of five. These results have implications for both development of a biotechnological process regarding metal extraction from Kupferschiefer, and for the interaction of bacterial metabolites with the lithosphere and potential mobilization of heavy metals in alkaline environments.

The Copper(II)-Catalyzed Oxidation of Glutathione

The kinetics and mechanisms of the copper(II)-catalyzed GSH (glutathione) oxidation are examined in the light of its biological importance and in the use of blood and/or saliva samples for GSH monitoring. The rates of the free thiol consumption were measured spectrophotometrically by reaction with DTNB (5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid)), showing that GSH is not auto-oxidized by oxygen in the absence of a catalyst. In the presence of Cu²⁺ , reactions with two timescales were observed. The first step (short timescale) involves the fast formation of a copper-glutathione complex by the cysteine thiol. The second step (longer timescale) is the overall oxidation of GSH to GSSG (glutathione disulfide) catalyzed by copper(II). When the initial concentrations of GSH are at least threefold in excess of Cu²⁺ , the rate law is deduced to be -d[thiol]/dt=k[copper-glutathione complex][O₂ ]^0.5 [H₂ O₂ ]^-0.5 . The 0.5^th reaction order with respect to O₂ reveals a pre-equilibrium prior to the rate-determining step of the GSSG formation. In contrast to [Cu²⁺ ] and [O₂ ], the rate of the reactions decreases with increasing concentrations of GSH. This inverse relationship is proposed to be a result of the competing formation of an inactive form of the copper-glutathione complex (binding to glutamic and/or glycine moieties).