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Peluzo BMTC, Moura RT, Kraka E. Extraction of uranyl from spent nuclear fuel wastewater via complexation-a local vibrational mode study. J Mol Model 2024; 30:216. [PMID: 38888814 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-024-06000-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
CONTEXT The efficient extraction of uranyl from spent nuclear fuel wastewater for subsequent reprocessing and reuse is an essential effort toward minimization of long-lived radioactive waste. N-substituted amides and Schiff base ligands are propitious candidates, where extraction occurs via complexation with the uranyl moiety. In this study, we extensively probed chemical bonding in various uranyl complexes, utilizing the local vibrational modes theory alongside QTAIM and NBO analyses. We focused on (i) the assessment of the equatorial O-U and N-U bonding, including the question of chelation, and (ii) how the strength of the axial U = O bonds of the uranyl moiety changes upon complexation. Our results reveal that the strength of the equatorial uranium-ligand interactions correlates with their covalent character and with charge donation from O and N lone pairs into the vacant uranium orbitals. We also found an inverse relationship between the covalent character of the equatorial ligand bonds and the strength of the axial uranium-oxygen bond. In summary, our study provides valuable data for a strategic modulation of N-substituted amide and Schiff base ligands towards the maximization of uranyl extraction. METHOD Quantum chemistry calculations were performed under the PBE0 level of theory, paired with the relativistic NESCau Hamiltonian, currently implemented in Cologne2020 (interfaced with Gaussian16). Wave functions were expanded in the cc-pwCVTZ-X2C basis set for uranium and Dunning's cc-pVTZ for the remaining atoms. For the bonding properties, we utilized the package LModeA in the local modes analyses, AIMALL in the QTAIM calculations, and NBO 7.0 for the NBO analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bárbara M T C Peluzo
- Computational and Theoretical Chemistry Group (CATCO), Department of Chemistry, Southern Methodist University, 3215 Daniel Avenue, Dallas, TX, 75275-0314, USA
| | - Renaldo T Moura
- Computational and Theoretical Chemistry Group (CATCO), Department of Chemistry, Southern Methodist University, 3215 Daniel Avenue, Dallas, TX, 75275-0314, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, Center of Agrarian Sciences, Federal University of Paraíba, Areia, 58397-000, Paraíba, Brazil
| | - Elfi Kraka
- Computational and Theoretical Chemistry Group (CATCO), Department of Chemistry, Southern Methodist University, 3215 Daniel Avenue, Dallas, TX, 75275-0314, USA.
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Byrne NM, Schofield MH, Nicholas AD, Cahill CL. Bimetallic uranyl/cobalt(II) isothiocyanates: structure, property and spectroscopic analysis of homo- and heterometallic phases. Dalton Trans 2021; 50:9158-9172. [PMID: 34115090 DOI: 10.1039/d1dt01464a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
We report the synthesis and characterization of a family of UO22+/Co2+ isothiocyanate materials containing [UO2(NCS)5]3- and/or [Co(NCS)4]2- building units charged balanced by tetramethylammonium cations and assembled via SS or SOyl non-covalent interactions (NCIs), namely (C4H12N)3[UO2(NCS)5], (C4H12N)2[Co(NCS)4], and (C4H12N)5[Co(NCS)4][UO2(NCS)5]. The homometallic uranyl phase preferentially assembles via SS interactions, whereas in the heterometallic phase SOyl interactions are predominant. The variation in assembly mode is explored using electrostatic surfaces potentials, revealing that the pendant -NCS ligands of the [Co(NCS)4]2- anion is capable of outcompeting those of the [UO2(NCS)5]3- anion. Notably, the heterometallic phase displays atypical blue shifting of the uranyl symmetric stretch in the Raman spectra, which is in contrast to many other compounds featuring non-covalent interactions at uranyl oxygen atoms. A combined experimental and computational (density functional theory and natural bond orbital analyses) approach revealed that coupling of the uranyl symmetric stretch with isothiocyanate modes of equatorial -NCS ligands was responsible for the atypical blue shift in the heterometallic phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Byrne
- Department of Chemistry, The George Washington University, 800 22nd St NW, Suite 4000, Washington, D.C. 20052, USA.
| | - Mark H Schofield
- Department of Chemistry, The George Washington University, 800 22nd St NW, Suite 4000, Washington, D.C. 20052, USA.
| | - Aaron D Nicholas
- Department of Chemistry, The George Washington University, 800 22nd St NW, Suite 4000, Washington, D.C. 20052, USA.
| | - Christopher L Cahill
- Department of Chemistry, The George Washington University, 800 22nd St NW, Suite 4000, Washington, D.C. 20052, USA.
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Renault E, Jian J, Maurice R, van Stipdonk MJ, Tatosian IJ, Bubas AR, Martens J, Berden G, Oomens J, Gibson JK. Characterization of Uranyl Coordinated by Equatorial Oxygen: Oxo in UO 3 versus Oxyl in UO 3. J Phys Chem A 2021; 125:5544-5555. [PMID: 34138571 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.1c03818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Uranium trioxide, UO3, has a T-shaped structure with bent uranyl, UO22+, coordinated by an equatorial oxo, O2-. The structure of cation UO3+ is similar but with an equatorial oxyl, O•-. Neutral and cationic uranium trioxide coordinated by nitrates were characterized by collision induced dissociation (CID), infrared multiple-photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy, and density functional theory. CID of uranyl nitrate, [UO2(NO3)3]- (complex A1), eliminates NO2 to produce nitrate-coordinated UO3+, [UO2(O•)(NO3)2]- (B1), which ejects NO3 to yield UO3 in [UO2(O)(NO3)]- (C1). Finally, C1 associates with H2O to afford uranyl hydroxide in [UO2(OH)2(NO3)]- (D1). IRMPD of B1, C1, and D1 confirms uranyl equatorially coordinated by nitrate(s) along with the following ligands: (B1) radical oxyl O•-; (C1) oxo O2-; and (D1) two hydroxyls, OH-. As the nitrates are bidentate, the equatorial coordination is six in A1, five in B1, four in D1, and three in C1. Ligand congestion in low-coordinate C1 suggests orbital-directed bonding. Hydrolysis of the equatorial oxo in C1 epitomizes the inverse trans influence in UO3, which is uranyl with inert axial oxos and a reactive equatorial oxo. The uranyl ν3 IR frequencies indicate the following donor ordering: O2-[best donor] ≫ O•-> OH-> NO3-.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Renault
- CEISAM UMR 6230, CNRS, Université de Nantes, F-44000 Nantes, France
| | - Jiwen Jian
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Rémi Maurice
- SUBATECH, UMR CNRS 6457, IN2P3/IMT Atlantique/Université de Nantes, 4 rue Alfred Kastler, BP 20722, 44307 Nantes Cedex 3, France
| | - Michael J van Stipdonk
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Duquesne University, 600 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15282, United States
| | - Irena J Tatosian
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Duquesne University, 600 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15282, United States
| | - Amanda R Bubas
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Duquesne University, 600 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15282, United States
| | - Jonathan Martens
- Radboud University Nijmegen, Institute for Molecules and Materials, FELIX Laboratory, Toernooiveld 7, 6525ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Giel Berden
- Radboud University Nijmegen, Institute for Molecules and Materials, FELIX Laboratory, Toernooiveld 7, 6525ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jos Oomens
- Radboud University Nijmegen, Institute for Molecules and Materials, FELIX Laboratory, Toernooiveld 7, 6525ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - John K Gibson
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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Hu SX, Jian J, Li J, Gibson JK. Destruction of the Uranyl Moiety in a U(V) “Cation–Cation” Interaction. Inorg Chem 2019; 58:10148-10159. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.9b01265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Xian Hu
- Beijing Computational Science Research Center, Beijing 100193, China
- Department of Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jiwen Jian
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Jun Li
- Department of Chemistry and Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics & Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Department of Chemistry, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - John K. Gibson
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
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Chen X, Li Q, Gong Y. Coordination Structures of the Uranyl(VI)–Diamide Complexes: A Combined Mass Spectrometric, EXAFS Spectroscopic, and Theoretical Study. Inorg Chem 2019; 58:5695-5702. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.9b00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiuting Chen
- Department of Radiochemistry, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qingnuan Li
- Department of Radiochemistry, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
| | - Yu Gong
- Department of Radiochemistry, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
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