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Deblonde GJP, Morrison K, Mattocks JA, Cotruvo JA, Zavarin M, Kersting AB. Impact of a Biological Chelator, Lanmodulin, on Minor Actinide Aqueous Speciation and Transport in the Environment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:20830-20843. [PMID: 37897703 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c06033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Minor actinides are major contributors to the long-term radiotoxicity of nuclear fuels and other radioactive wastes. In this context, understanding their interactions with natural chelators and minerals is key to evaluating their transport behavior in the environment. The lanmodulin family of metalloproteins is produced by ubiquitous bacteria and Methylorubrum extorquens lanmodulin (LanM) was recently identified as one of nature's most selective chelators for trivalent f-elements. Herein, we investigated the behavior of neptunium, americium, and curium in the presence of LanM, carbonate ions, and common minerals (calcite, montmorillonite, quartz, and kaolinite). We show that LanM's aqueous complexes with Am(III) and Cm(III) remain stable in carbonate-bicarbonate solutions. Furthermore, the sorption of Am(III) to these minerals is strongly impacted by LanM, while Np(V) sorption is not. With calcite, even a submicromolar concentration of LanM leads to a significant reduction in the Am(III) distribution coefficient (Kd, from >104 to ∼102 mL/g at pH 8.5), rendering it even more mobile than Np(V). Thus, LanM-type chelators can potentially increase the mobility of trivalent actinides and lanthanide fission products under environmentally relevant conditions. Monitoring biological chelators, including metalloproteins, and their biogenerators should therefore be considered during the evaluation of radioactive waste repository sites and the risk assessment of contaminated sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gauthier J-P Deblonde
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Nuclear and Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, United States
- Glenn T. Seaborg Institute, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Keith Morrison
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Nuclear and Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, United States
- Glenn T. Seaborg Institute, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Joseph A Mattocks
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Joseph A Cotruvo
- Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Mavrik Zavarin
- Glenn T. Seaborg Institute, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Annie B Kersting
- Glenn T. Seaborg Institute, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550, United States
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Colla CA, Colliard I, Sawvel AM, Nyman M, Mason HE, Deblonde GJP. Contrasting Trivalent Lanthanide and Actinide Complexation by Polyoxometalates via Solution-State NMR. Inorg Chem 2022; 62:6242-6254. [PMID: 36580490 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c04014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Deciphering the solution chemistry and speciation of actinides is inherently difficult due to radioactivity, rarity, and cost constraints, especially for transplutonium elements. In this context, the development of new chelating platforms for actinides and associated spectroscopic techniques is particularly important. In this study, we investigate a relatively overlooked class of chelators for actinide binding, namely, polyoxometalates (POMs). We provide the first NMR measurements on americium-POM and curium-POM complexes, using one-dimensional (1D) 31P NMR, variable-temperature NMR, and spin-lattice relaxation time (T1) experiments. The proposed POM-NMR approach allows for the study of trivalent f-elements even when only microgram amounts are available and in phosphate-containing solutions where f-elements are typically insoluble. The solution-state speciation of trivalent americium, curium, plus multiple lanthanide ions (La3+, Nd3+, Sm3+, Eu3+, Yb3+, and Lu3+), in the presence of the model POM ligand PW11O397- was elucidated and revealed the concurrent formation of two stable complexes, [MIII(PW11O39)(H2O)x]4- and [MIII(PW11O39)2]11-. Interconversion reaction constants, reaction enthalpies, and reaction entropies were derived from the NMR data. The NMR results also provide experimental evidence of the weakly paramagnetic nature of the Am3+ and Cm3+ ions in solution. Furthermore, the study reveals a previously unnoticed periodicity break along the f-element series with the reversal of T1 relaxation times of the 1:1 and 1:2 complexes and the preferential formation of the long T1 species for the early lanthanides versus the short T1 species for the late lanthanides, americium, and curium. Given the broad variety of POM ligands that exist, with many of them containing NMR-active nuclei, the combined POM-NMR approach reported here opens a new avenue to investigate difficult-to-study elements such as heavy actinides and other radionuclides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Colla
- Atmospheric, Earth and Energy Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California94550, United States
| | - Ian Colliard
- Glenn T. Seaborg Institute, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California94550, United States.,Department of Chemistry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon97331, United States
| | - April M Sawvel
- Materials Science Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California94550, United States
| | - May Nyman
- Department of Chemistry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon97331, United States
| | - Harris E Mason
- Atmospheric, Earth and Energy Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California94550, United States.,Chemistry Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico87545, United States
| | - Gauthier J-P Deblonde
- Glenn T. Seaborg Institute, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California94550, United States.,Nuclear and Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California94550, United States
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