Interlocked aromatic species: Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of the uranyl ion complex of 3-(pyrimidin-2-yl)benzoate with Ni(phen) 3 2+ counter-ions

Variability of structural motifs in the crystal structure of U(vi) complexes with p-methoxybenzoic acid

An unexpected crystal structure based on the simultaneous presence of 0D and 1D uranyl-containing building units was obtained.

Binding of oxime group to uranyl ion

Currently, the leading approach for extraction of uranium from seawater is selective sorption of UO2(2+) ions onto a poly(acrylamidoxime) fiber. Amidoxime functional groups are the most studied extractant moieties for this application, but are not perfectly selective, and understanding how these groups (and more generally the oxime groups) interact with UO2(2+) and competing ions in seawater is an important step in designing better extractants. We have started a new research programme aiming at in-depth studies of the uranyl-oxime/amidoxime interactions and we report here our first results which cover aspects of the coordination chemistry of 2-pyridyl ketoximes towards UO2(2+). Detailed synthetic investigations of various UO2(2+)/mepaoH and UO2(2+)/phpaoH reaction systems (mepaoH is methyl 2-pyridyl ketoxime and phpaoH is phenyl 2-pyridyl ketoxime) have provided access to the complexes [UO2(mepao)2(MeOH)2]{[UO2(NO3)(mepao)(MeOH)2]}2 (), [UO2(mepao)2(MeOH)2] (), [(UO2)2(O2)(O2CMe)2(mepaoH)2] () and [UO2(phpao)2(MeOH)2] (). The peroxido group in , which was isolated without the addition of external peroxide sources, probably arises from a bis(aquo)- and/or bis(hydroxido)-bridged diuranyl precursor in solution followed by photochemical oxidation of the bridging groups. The U(VI) atom in the [UO2(NO3)(mepao)(MeOH)2] molecules of () is surrounded by one nitrogen and seven oxygen atoms in a very distorted hexagonal bipyramidal geometry; two oxygen atoms from the terminal MeOH ligands, two oxygen atoms from the bidentate chelating nitrato group, and the oxygen and nitrogen atoms from the η(2) oximate group of the 1.110 (Harris notation) mepao(-) ligand define the equatorial plane. This plane consists of two terminal MeOH ligands and two η(2) oximate groups in the [UO2(mepao)2(MeOH)2] molecule () of . The structure of the [UO2(mepao)2(MeOH)2] molecule that is present in is very similar to the structure of the corresponding molecule in . The structure of the dinuclear molecule that is present in consists of two {UO2(O2CMe)(mepaoH)}(+) units bridged by a η(2):η(2):μ O2(2-) group. The equatorial plane of each uranyl site is composed of the pyridyl and oxime nitrogen atoms of a 1.011 mepaoH ligand, the oxygen atoms of an almost symmetrically coordinated bidentate chelating MeCO2(-) group and the two oxygen atoms of the peroxido groups. The core molecular structure of is similar to that of , the only difference being the presence of 1.110 phpao(-) ligands in the former instead of mepao(-) groups in the latter. The free pyridyl nitrogen atoms of mepao(-) and phpao(-) ligands of , and are acceptors of intramolecular H bonds from the ligated MeOH oxygen atoms. H-bonding and π-π stacking interactions build interesting supramolecular networks in the crystal structures of the four complexes. Compounds are the first structurally characterized uranyl complexes with 2-pyridyl aldoximes or ketoximes as ligands. IR data are discussed in terms of the coordination modes of the ligands in the complexes. (1)H NMR data in DMSO-d6 suggest that the complexes decompose in solution. The ESI(-) MS spectrum of dissolved in the NH4(O2CMe) buffer is indicative of the presence of [UO2(O2CMe)3](-), [UO2(O2CMe)2(phpao)](-), [UO2(O2CMe)(phpao)2](-) and [UO2(phpao)3](-) species. A common structural motif of the complexes containing the anionic mepao(-) (, ) and phpao(-) () ligands is that the deprotonated oximate group prefers to bind in the η(2) fashion forming a 3-membered chelating ring in spite of the presence of a pyridyl nitrogen atom, whose coordination would be expected to lead to 5- or 6-membered chelating rings.

Structural Consequences of 1,4-Cyclohexanedicarboxylate Cis/Trans Isomerism in Uranyl Ion Complexes: From Molecular Species to 2D and 3D Entangled Nets

trans-1,4-Cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid (t-1,4-chdcH₂) or the commercially available mixture of the cis and trans isomers (c,t-1,4-chdcH₂) has been used in the synthesis of a series of 14 uranyl ion complexes, all obtained under solvohydrothermal conditions, some in the presence of additional metal cations and/or 2,2'-bipyridine (bipy). With its two isomeric forms having very different shapes and its great sensitivity to the experimental conditions, 1,4-chdc^2- appears to be suitable for the synthesis of uranyl ion complexes displaying a wide range of architectures. Under the conditions used, the pure trans isomer gives only the complexes [UO₂(t-1,4-chdc)(H₂O)₂] (1) and [UO₂(t-1,4-chdc)] (2), which crystallize as one- and two-dimensional (1D and 2D) species, respectively. Complexes containing either the cis isomer alone or mixtures of the two isomers in varying proportion were obtained from the isomer mixture. The neutral complexes [UO₂(c-1,4-chdc)(DMF)] (3) and [UO₂(c-1,4-chdc)(bipy)] (4) are 2D and 1D assemblies, respectively, while all the other complexes are anionic and include various counterions. [C(NH₂)₃]₃[H₂NMe₂][(UO₂)₄(c-1,4-chdc)₆]·H₂O (5) crystallizes as a three-dimensional (3D) framework with {10³} topology. While [H₂NMe₂]₂[(UO₂)₂(c-1,4-chdc)₂(t-1,4-chdc)]·DMF·2H₂O (6) is a 1D ladderlike polymer, [H₂NMe₂]₂[(UO₂)₂(c-1,4-chdc)(t-1,4-chdc)₂]·2H₂O (7), which differs in the cis/trans ratio, is a 3-fold 2D interpenetrated network with {6³} honeycomb topology. The related [H₂NMe₂]₂[(UO₂)₂(c,t-1,4-chdc)₃]·2.5H₂O (8), with one disordered ligand of uncertain geometry, is a 3-fold 3D interpenetrated system. The two isomorphous complexes [Co(bipy)₃][(UO₂)₂(c-1,4-chdc)₃]·1.5H₂O (9) and [Cd(bipy)₃][(UO₂)₂(c-1,4-chdc)₃]·1.5H₂O (10) form 3D frameworks with the {10³} srs topological type. In contrast, [Ni(bipy)₃]₂[(UO₂)₄(c-1,4-chdc)₂(t-1,4-chdc)(NO₃)₆]·2H₂O (11) is a molecular, tetranuclear complex due to the presence of terminal nitrate ligands. A 2-fold 3D interpenetration of frameworks with {10³} ths topology is observed in [Cu(bipy)₂]₂[(UO₂)₂(c-1,4-chdc)₂(t-1,4-chdc)]·2H₂O (12), while [Zn(bipy)₃][(UO₂)₂(c-1,4-chdc)₃]·4H₂O (13) crystallizes as a 2D net with the common {4.8²} fes topological type. The additional Pb^II cation is an essential part of the 3D framework formed in [UO₂Pb₂(c-1,4-chdc)(t-1,4-chdc)₂(bipy)₂] (14), in which uranyl and its ligands alone form 1D subunits. Together with previous results, the solid-state uranyl emission properties of seven of the present complexes evidence a general trend, with the maxima for the complexes with O₆ equatorial environments being blue-shifted with respect to those for complexes with O₅ environments.

Modulation of the Structure and Properties of Uranyl Ion Coordination Polymers Derived from 1,3,5-Benzenetriacetate by Incorporation of Ag(I) or Pb(II)

Reaction of uranyl nitrate with 1,3,5-benzenetriacetic acid (H3BTA) in the presence of additional species, either organic bases or their conjugate acids or metal cations, has provided 12 new crystalline complexes, all but one obtained under solvo-hydrothermal conditions. The complexes [C(NH2)3][UO2(BTA)]·H2O (1) and [H2NMe2][UO2(BTA)] (2) crystallize as one- or two-dimensional (1D or 2D) assemblies, respectively, both with uranyl tris-chelation by carboxylate groups and hydrogen-bonded counterions but different ligand conformations. One of the bound carboxylate units is replaced by chelating 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) or 3,4,7,8-tetramethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (Me4phen) in the complexes [(UO2)3(BTA)2(phen)3]·4H2O (3) and [(UO2)3(BTA)2(Me4phen)3]·NMP·3H2O (4) (NMP = N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone), which are a 2D network with honeycomb topology and a 1D polymer, respectively. With silver(I) cations, [UO2Ag(BTA)] (5), a three-dimensional (3D) framework in which the ligand assumes various chelating/bridging coordination modes, and the aromatic ring is involved in Ag(I) bonding, is obtained. A series of seven heterometallic complexes results when lead(II) cations and N-chelating molecules are both present. The complexes [UO2Pb(BTA)(NO3)(bipy)] (6) and [UO2Pb2(BTA)2(bipy)2]·3H2O (7), where bipy is 2,2'-bipyridine, crystallize from the one solution, as 1D and 2D assemblies, respectively. The two 1D coordination polymers [UO2Pb(BTA)(HCOO)(phen)] (8 and 9), again obtained from the one synthesis, provide an example of coordination isomerism, with the formate anion bound either to lead(II) or to uranyl cations. Another 2D architecture is found in [(UO2)2Pb2(BTA)2(HBTA)(H2O)2(phen)2]·2H2O (10), which provides a possible example of a Pb-oxo(uranyl) "cation-cation" interaction. While [UO2Pb(BTA)(HCOO)0.5(NO3)0.5(Me2phen)] (11), where Me2phen is 5,6-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline, is a 1D assembly close to those in 6 and 8, [UO2Pb2(BTA)2(Me4phen)2] (12), obtained together with complex 4, crystallizes as a 2D network as a result of the high degree of connectivity provided by the chelating/bridging tricarboxylate ligand. Emission spectra measured in the solid state display vibronic fine structure attributable to uranyl luminescence (except for complex 5, in which emission is quenched), with variations in maxima positions associated with modifications of the uranyl ion environment.

Counter-ion control of structure in uranyl ion complexes with 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylate

Various counterions containing d-block metal ions and N-donating chelators were used to generate one- and two-dimensional uranyl-2,5-thiophenedicarboxylate species, one of them displaying inclined polycatenation.