High-Resolution Solid-State Oxygen-17 NMR of Actinide-Bearing Compounds: An Insight into the 5f Chemistry

Using NMR Spectroscopy to Evaluate Metal-Ligand Bond Covalency for the f Elements

ConspectusUnderstanding f element-ligand covalency is at the center of efforts to design new separations schemes for spent nuclear fuel, and is therefore of signficant fundamental and practical importance. Considerable effort has been invested into quantifying covalency in f element-ligand bonding. Over the past decade, numerous studies have employed a variety of techniques to study covalency, including XANES, EPR, and optical spectroscopies, as well as X-ray crystallography. NMR spectroscopy is another widely available spectroscopic technique that is complementary to these more established methods; however, its use for measuring 4f/5f covalency is still in its infancy. This Account describes efforts in the authors' laboratories to develop and validate multinuclear NMR spectroscopy as a tool for studying metal-ligand covalency in the actinides and selected lanthanide complexes. Thus far, we have quantified M-L covalency for a variety of ligand types, including chalcogenides, carbenes, alkyls, acetylides, amides, and nitrides, and for a variety of isotopes, including 13C, 15N, 77Se, and 125Te. Using NMR spectroscopy to probe M-C and M-N covalency is particularly attractive because of the ready availability of the13C and 15N isotopes (both I = 1/2), and also because these elements are found in some of the most important f element ligand classes, including alkyls, carbenes, polypyridines, amides, imidos, and nitrides.The covalency analysis is based on the chemical shift (δ) and corresponding nuclear shielding constant (σ) of the metal-bound nucleus. The diamagnetic (σdia), paramagnetic (σpara), and spin-orbit contributions (σSO) to σ can be obtained and analyzed by relativistic density functional theory (DFT). Of particular importance is σSO, which arises from the combination of spin-orbit coupling, the magnetic field, and chemical bonding. Its magnitude correlates with the amount of ligand s-character and metal nf (and (n+1)d) character in the M-L bond. In practice, ΔSO, the total difference between calculated chemical shift for the ligand nucleus including vs excluding SO effects, provides a more convenient metric for analysis. For the examples discussed herein, ΔSO accounts primarily for σSO in an f-element complex, but also includes minor SO effects on the other shielding mechanisms and (usually) minor SO effects on the reference shielding. ΔSO can be very large, as in the case of [U(CH2SiMe3)6] (348 ppm), which is not surprising as the An-C bonds in this example exhibits a high degree of covalency (e.g., 20% 5f character). However, even small values of ΔSO can indicate profound bonding effects, as shown by our analysis of [La(C6Cl5)4]-. In this case, ΔSO is only 9 ppm, consistent with a highly ionic La-C bond (e.g., <1% 4f character). Nonetheless, the inclusion of SO effects in the calculation are necessary to achieve good agreement between the predicted and experimentally determined chemical shifts. Overall, the examples discussed herein highlight the exquisite sensitivity of this method to unravel electronic structure in f element complexes.

Understanding covalency in molecular f-block compounds from the synergy of spectroscopy and quantum chemistry

One of the most intensely studied areas of f-block chemistry is the nature of the bonds between the f-element and another species, and in particular the role played by covalency. Computational quantum chemical methods have been at the forefront of this research for decades and have a particularly valuable role, given the radioactivity of the actinide series. The very strong agreement that has recently emerged between theory and the results of a range of spectroscopic techniques not only facilitates deeper insight into the experimental data, but it also provides confidence in the conclusions from the computational studies. These synergies are shining new light on the nature of the f element-other element bond.

Speciation of Lanthanide Metal Ion Dopants in Microcrystalline All-Inorganic Halide Perovskite CsPbCl3

Lanthanides are versatile modulators of optoelectronic properties owing to their narrow optical emission spectra across the visible and near-infrared range. Their use in metal halide perovskites (MHPs) has recently gained prominence, although their fate in these materials has not yet been established at the atomic level. We use cesium-133 solid-state NMR to establish the speciation of all nonradioactive lanthanide ions (La3+, Ce3+, Pr3+, Nd3+, Sm3+, Sm2+, Eu3+, Eu2+, Gd3+, Tb3+, Dy3+, Ho3+, Er3+, Tm3+, Yb3+, Lu3+) in microcrystalline CsPbCl3. Our results show that all lanthanides incorporate into the perovskite structure of CsPbCl3 regardless of their oxidation state (+2, +3).

13Ccarbene nuclear magnetic resonance chemical shift analysis confirms CeIV[double bond, length as m-dash]C double bonding in cerium(iv)-diphosphonioalkylidene complexes

Diphosphonioalkylidene dianions have emerged as highly effective ligands for lanthanide and actinide ions, and the resulting formal metal-carbon double bonds have challenged and developed conventional thinking about f-element bond multiplicity and covalency. However, f-element-diphosphonioalkylidene complexes can be represented by several resonance forms that render their metal-carbon double bond status unclear. Here, we report an experimentally-validated 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance computational assessment of two cerium(iv)-diphosphonioalkylidene complexes, [Ce(BIPMTMS)(ODipp)2] (1, BIPMTMS = {C(PPh2NSiMe3)2}2-; Dipp = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl) and [Ce(BIPMTMS)2] (2). Decomposing the experimental alkylidene chemical shifts into their corresponding calculated shielding (σ) tensor components verifies that these complexes exhibit Ce[double bond, length as m-dash]C double bonds. Strong magnetic coupling of Ce[double bond, length as m-dash]C σ/π* and π/σ* orbitals produces strongly deshielded σ11 values, a characteristic hallmark of alkylidenes, and the largest 13C chemical shift tensor spans of any alkylidene complex to date (1, 801 ppm; 2, 810 ppm). In contrast, the phosphonium-substituent shielding contributions are much smaller than the Ce[double bond, length as m-dash]C σ- and π-bond components. This study confirms significant Ce 4f-orbital contributions to the Ce[double bond, length as m-dash]C bonding, provides further support for a previously proposed inverse-trans-influence in 2, and reveals variance in the 4f spin-orbit contributions that relate to the alkylidene hybridisation. This work thus confirms the metal-carbon double bond credentials of f-element-diphosphonioalkylidenes, providing quantified benchmarks for understanding diphosphonioalkylidene bonding generally.

31P Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy as a Probe of Thorium-Phosphorus Bond Covalency: Correlating Phosphorus Chemical Shift to Metal-Phosphorus Bond Order

We report the use of solution and solid-state 31P Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy combined with Density Functional Theory calculations to benchmark the covalency of actinide-phosphorus bonds, thus introducing 31P NMR spectroscopy to the investigation of molecular f-element chemical bond covalency. The 31P NMR data for [Th(PH2)(TrenTIPS)] (1, TrenTIPS = {N(CH2CH2NSiPri3)3}3-), [Th(PH)(TrenTIPS)][Na(12C4)2] (2, 12C4 = 12-crown-4 ether), [{Th(TrenTIPS)}2(μ-PH)] (3), and [{Th(TrenTIPS)}2(μ-P)][Na(12C4)2] (4) demonstrate a chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) ordering of (μ-P)3- > (═PH)2- > (μ-PH)2- > (-PH2)1- and for 4 the largest CSA for any bridging phosphido unit. The B3LYP functional with 50% Hartree-Fock mixing produced spin-orbit δiso values that closely match the experimental data, providing experimentally benchmarked quantification of the nature and extent of covalency in the Th-P linkages in 1-4 via Natural Bond Orbital and Natural Localized Molecular Orbital analyses. Shielding analysis revealed that the 31P δiso values are essentially only due to the nature of the Th-P bonds in 1-4, with largely invariant diamagnetic but variable paramagnetic and spin-orbit shieldings that reflect the Th-P bond multiplicities and s-orbital mediated transmission of spin-orbit effects from Th to P. This study has permitted correlation of Th-P δiso values to Mayer bond orders, revealing qualitative correlations generally, but which should be examined with respect to specific ancillary ligand families rather than generally to be quantitative, reflecting that 31P δiso values are a very sensitive reporter due to phosphorus being a soft donor that responds to the rest of the ligand field much more than stronger, harder donors like nitrogen.

Dipolar and Contact Paramagnetic NMR Chemical Shifts in AnIV Complexes with Dipicolinic Acid Derivatives

Actinide +IV complexes (An^IV = Th^IV, U^IV, Np^IV, and Pu^IV) with two dipicolinic acid derivatives (DPA and Et-DPA) have been studied by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopies and first-principles calculations. The Fermi contact and dipolar contributions to the actinide-induced shifts (AIS) are evaluated from a temperature dependence analysis, combined with ab initio results. It allows an experimental estimation of the axial anisotropy of the magnetic susceptibility Δχ_ax and of the hyperfine coupling constants of the NMR-active nuclei. Due to the compactness of the coordination sphere, the magnetic anisotropy of the paramagnetic center is small, and this makes the contact contribution to be the dominant one, even on the remote atoms. The sign of the hyperfine coupling constants and related spin densities is alternating on the nuclei of the ligand cycle, denoting a preponderant spin polarization mechanism. This is well reproduced by unrestricted density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Those values are furthermore slightly decreasing in the actinide series, which indicates a small decrease of the covalency from U^IV to Pu^IV.

Exceptional uranium(VI)-nitride triple bond covalency from 15N nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and quantum chemical analysis

Determining the nature and extent of covalency of early actinide chemical bonding is a fundamentally important challenge. Recently, X-ray absorption, electron paramagnetic, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic studies have probed actinide-ligand covalency, largely confirming the paradigm of early actinide bonding varying from ionic to polarised-covalent, with this range sitting on the continuum between ionic lanthanide and more covalent d transition metal analogues. Here, we report measurement of the covalency of a terminal uranium(VI)-nitride by 15N nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and find an exceptional nitride chemical shift and chemical shift anisotropy. This redefines the 15N nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy parameter space, and experimentally confirms a prior computational prediction that the uranium(VI)-nitride triple bond is not only highly covalent, but, more so than d transition metal analogues. These results enable construction of general, predictive metal-ligand 15N chemical shift-bond order correlations, and reframe our understanding of actinide chemical bonding to guide future studies.

29Si NMR Spectroscopy as a Probe of s- and f-Block Metal(II)-Silanide Bond Covalency

We report the use of ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations combined to benchmark the covalency in the chemical bonding of s- and f-block metal-silicon bonds. The complexes [M(Si^tBu₃)₂(THF)₂(THF)_x] (1-M: M = Mg, Ca, Yb, x = 0; M = Sm, Eu, x = 1) and [M(Si^tBu₂Me)₂(THF)₂(THF)_x] (2-M: M = Mg, x = 0; M = Ca, Sm, Eu, Yb, x = 1) have been synthesized and characterized. DFT calculations and ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopic analyses of 1-M and 2-M (M = Mg, Ca, Yb, No, the last in silico due to experimental unavailability) together with known {Si(SiMe₃)₃}^--, {Si(SiMe₂H)₃}^--, and {SiPh₃}^--substituted analogues provide 20 representative examples spanning five silanide ligands and four divalent metals, revealing that the metal-bound ²⁹Si NMR isotropic chemical shifts, δ_Si, span a wide (∼225 ppm) range when the metal is kept constant, and direct, linear correlations are found between δ_Si and computed delocalization indices and quantum chemical topology interatomic exchange-correlation energies that are measures of bond covalency. The calculations reveal dominant s- and d-orbital character in the bonding of these silanide complexes, with no significant f-orbital contributions. The δ_Si is determined, relatively, by paramagnetic shielding for a given metal when the silanide is varied but by the spin-orbit shielding term when the metal is varied for a given ligand. The calculations suggest a covalency ordering of No(II) > Yb(II) > Ca(II) ≈ Mg(II), challenging the traditional view of late actinide chemical bonding being equivalent to that of the late lanthanides.

Measurement of local magnetic fields in actinide tetrafluorides

Fluorine-19 magnetic shielding tensors have been measured in a series of actinide tetrafluorides (AnF₄) by solid state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Tetravalent actinide centers with 0-8 valence electrons can form tetrafluorides with the same monoclinic structure type, making these compounds an attractive choice for a systematic study of the variation in the electronic structure across the 5f row of the Periodic Table. Pronounced deviations from predictions based on localized valence electron models have been detected by these experiments, which suggests that this approach may be used as a quantitative probe of electronic correlations.

Temperature Dependence of 1 H Paramagnetic Chemical Shifts in Actinide Complexes, Beyond Bleaney's Theory: The AnVI O2 2+ -Dipicolinic Acid Complexes (An=Np, Pu) as an Example

Actinide +VI complexes ( A n V I = U V I , N p V I and P u V I ) with dipicolinic acid derivatives were synthesized and characterized by powder XRD, SQUID magnetometry and NMR spectroscopy. In addition, N p V I and P u V I complexes were described by first principles CAS based and two-component spin-restricted DFT methods. The analysis of the ¹ H paramagnetic NMR chemical shifts for all protons of the ligands according to the X-rays structures shows that the Fermi contact contribution is negligible in agreement with spin density determined by unrestricted DFT. The magnetic susceptibility tensor is determined by combining SQUID, pNMR shifts and Evans' method. The SO-RASPT2 results fit well the experimental magnetic susceptibility and pNMR chemical shifts. The role of the counterions in the solid phase is pointed out; their presence impacts the magnetic properties of the N p V I complex. The temperature dependence of the pNMR chemical shifts has a strong 1 / T contribution, contrarily to Bleaney's theory for lanthanide complexes. The fitting of the temperature dependence of the pNMR chemical shifts and SQUID magnetic susceptibility by a two-Kramers-doublet model for the N p V I complex and a non-Kramers-doublet model for the P u V I complex allows for the experimental evaluation of energy gaps and magnetic moments of the paramagnetic center.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Stability of Americium Phosphate, AmPO4

AmPO₄ was prepared by a solid-state reaction method, and its crystal structure at room temperature was solved by powder X-ray diffraction combined with Rietveld refinement. The purity of the monazite-like phase was confirmed by spectroscopic (high-resolution solid-state ³¹P NMR and Raman) and microscopic (SEM-EDX and TEM) techniques. The thermal and self-irradiation stability have been studied. The compound is stable under argon and air atmosphere at least up to 1773 K. It remains crystalline under self-irradiation for circa two months, with a crystallographic volume swelling of ∼1.5%, and then is amorphizing over a year. However, microcrystals are present in the amorphous material even after a two year period of time. All these characteristics are discussed in relation to the potential application of AmPO₄ as a stable form of Am in radioisotope power sources for space exploration and of behavior of the monazites under irradiation.

Probing a variation of the inverse-trans-influence in americium and lanthanide tribromide tris(tricyclohexylphosphine oxide) complexes

The synthesis, characterization, and theoretical analysis of meridional americium tribromide tris(tricyclohexylphosphine oxide), mer-AmBr3(OPcy3)3, has been achieved and is compared with its early lanthanide (La to Nd) analogs. The data show that homo trans ligands display significantly shorter bonds than the cis or hetero trans ligands. This is particularly pronounced in the americium compound. DFT along with multiconfigurational CASSCF calculations show that the contraction of the bonds relates qualitatively with overall covalency, i.e. americium shows the most covalent interactions compared to lanthanides. However, the involvement of the 5p and 6p shells in bonding follows a different order, namely cerium > neodymium ∼ americium. This study provides further insight into the mechanisms by which ITI operates in low-valent f-block complexes.

A 17O paramagnetic NMR study of Sm2O3, Eu2O3, and Sm/Eu-substituted CeO2

Paramagnetic solid-state NMR of lanthanide (Ln) containing materials can be challenging due to the high electron spin states possible for the Ln f electrons, which result in large paramagnetic shifts, and these difficulties are compounded for ¹⁷O due to the low natural abundance and quadrupolar character. In this work, we present examples of ¹⁷O NMR experiments for lanthanide oxides and strategies to overcome these difficulties. In particular, we record and assign the ¹⁷O NMR spectra of monoclinic Sm₂O₃ and Eu₂O₃ for the first time, as well as performing density functional theory (DFT) calculations to gain further insight into the spectra. The temperature dependence of the Sm³⁺ and Eu³⁺ magnetic susceptibilities are investigated by measuring the ¹⁷O shift of the cubic sesquioxides over a wide temperature range, which reveal non-Curie temperature dependence due to the presence of low-lying electronic states. This behaviour is reproduced by calculating the electron spin as a function of temperature, yielding shifts which agree well with the experimental values. Using the understanding of the magnetic behaviour gained from the sesquioxides, we then explore the local oxygen environments in 15 at% Sm- and Eu-substituted CeO₂, with the ¹⁷O NMR spectrum exhibiting signals due to environments with zero, one and two nearest neighbour Ln ions, as well as further splitting due to oxygen vacancies. Finally, we extract an activation energy for oxygen vacancy motion in these systems of 0.35 ± 0.02 eV from the Arrhenius temperature dependence of the ¹⁷O T₁ relaxation constants, which is found to be independent of the Ln ion within error. The relation of this activation energy to literature values for oxygen diffusion in Ln-substituted CeO₂ is discussed to infer mechanistic information which can be applied to further develop these materials as solid-state oxide-ion conductors.

Paramagnetic NMR in solution and the solid state

The field of paramagnetic NMR has expanded considerably in recent years. This review addresses both the theoretical description of paramagnetic NMR, and the way in which it is currently practised. We provide a review of the theory of the NMR parameters of systems in both solution and the solid state. Here we unify the different languages used by the NMR, EPR, quantum chemistry/DFT, and magnetism communities to provide a comprehensive and coherent theoretical description. We cover the theory of the paramagnetic shift and shift anisotropy in solution both in the traditional formalism in terms of the magnetic susceptibility tensor, and using a more modern formalism employing the relevant EPR parameters, such as are used in first-principles calculations. In addition we examine the theory first in the simple non-relativistic picture, and then in the presence of spin-orbit coupling. These ideas are then extended to a description of the paramagnetic shift in periodic solids, where it is necessary to include the bulk magnetic properties, such as magnetic ordering at low temperatures. The description of the paramagnetic shift is completed by describing the current understanding of such shifts due to lanthanide and actinide ions. We then examine the paramagnetic relaxation enhancement, using a simple model employing a phenomenological picture of the electronic relaxation, and again using a more complex state-of-the-art theory which incorporates electronic relaxation explicitly. An additional important consideration in the solid state is the impact of bulk magnetic susceptibility effects on the form of the spectrum, where we include some ideas from the field of classical electrodynamics. We then continue by describing in detail the solution and solid-state NMR methods that have been deployed in the study of paramagnetic systems in chemistry, biology, and the materials sciences. Finally we describe a number of case studies in paramagnetic NMR that have been specifically chosen to highlight how the theory in part one, and the methods in part two, can be used in practice. The systems chosen include small organometallic complexes in solution, solid battery electrode materials, metalloproteins in both solution and the solid state, systems containing lanthanide ions, and multi-component materials used in pharmaceutical controlled-release formulations that have been doped with paramagnetic species to measure the component domain sizes.

Optimization of Uranium-Doped Americium Oxide Synthesis for Space Application

Americium 241 is a potential alternative to plutonium 238 as an energy source for missions into deep space or to the dark side of planetary bodies. In order to use the ²⁴¹Am isotope for radioisotope thermoelectric generator or radioisotope heating unit (RHU) production, americium materials need to be developed. This study focuses on the stabilization of a cubic americium oxide phase using uranium as the dopant. After optimization of the material preparation, (Am_0.80U_0.12Np_0.06Pu_0.02)O_1.8 has been successfully synthesized to prepare a 2.96 g pellet containing 2.13 g of ²⁴¹Am for fabrication of a small scale RHU prototype. Compared to the use of pure americium oxide, the use of uranium-doped americium oxide leads to a number of improvements from a material properties and safety point of view, such as good behavior under sintering conditions or under alpha self-irradiation. The mixed oxide is a good host for neptunium (i.e., the ²⁴¹Am daughter element), and it has improved safety against radioactive material dispersion in the case of accidental conditions.

Aliovalent Cation Substitution in UO2: Electronic and Local Structures of U1-yLayO2±x Solid Solutions

For nuclear fuel related applications, the oxygen stoichiometry of mixed oxides U_1-yM_yO_2±x is an essential property as it affects fuel properties and may endanger the safe operation of nuclear reactors. A careful review of the open literature indicates that this parameter is difficult to assess properly and that the nature of the defects, i.e., oxygen vacancies or U^V, in aliovalent cation-doped UO₂ is still subject to controversy. To confirm the formation of U^V, we have investigated the room-temperature stable U_1-yLa_yO_2±x phase using several experimental methods (e.g., XRD, XANES, and NMR) confirmed by theoretical calculations. This paper presents the experimental proof of U^V and its effect we identified in both electronic and local structure. We observe that U^V is formed in quasi-equimolar proportion as La^III in U_1-yLa_yO_2±x (y = 0.06, 0.11, and 0.22) solid solutions. The fluorite structure is maintained despite the cationic substitution, but the local structure is affected as variations of the interatomic distances are found. Therefore, we provide here the definitive proof that the substitution of U^IV with La^III is not accommodated by the creation of O vacancies as has often been assumed. The UO₂ fluorite structure compensates the incorporation of an aliovalent cation by the formation of U^V in quasi-equimolar proportions.

A low-temperature synthesis method for AnO2 nanocrystals (An = Th, U, Np, and Pu) and associate solid solutions

Actinide oxalate decomposition under hot compressed water is proposed as a milder production route for nanometric sized (mixed) actinide oxides.

Lattice thermal expansion of Pu1−yAmyO2−xplutonium–americium mixed oxides

Plutonium–americium mixed oxides, Pu1−yAmyO2−x, with various Am contents (y= 0.018, 0.077, 0.21, 0.49, 0.80 and 1.00) were studiedin situby high-temperature X-ray diffraction. In this study, the lattice thermal expansion of the six compounds subjected to heat treatments up to 1773 K under reconstituted air (N2+ 21% O2+ ∼5 vpm H2O) was investigated. The materials remained monophasic throughout the experiments and, depending upon the americium content, the lattice parameter of the face-centred cubic phase deviated from linear lattice expansion at elevated temperatures as a result of the progressive reduction of Am4+to Am3+.

Solid-state NMR and short-range order in crystalline oxides and silicates: a new tool in paramagnetic resonances

Most applications of high-resolution NMR to questions of short-range order/disorder in inorganic materials have been made in systems where ions with unpaired electron spins are of negligible concentration, with structural information extracted primarily from chemical shifts, quadrupolar coupling parameters, and nuclear dipolar couplings. In some cases, however, the often-large additional resonance shifts caused by interactions between unpaired electron and nuclear spins can provide unique new structural information in materials with contents of paramagnetic cations ranging from hundreds of ppm to several per cent and even higher. In this brief review we focus on recent work on silicate, phosphate, and oxide materials with relatively low concentrations of paramagnetic ions, where spectral resolution can remain high enough to distinguish interactions between NMR-observed nuclides and one or more magnetic neighbors in different bonding configurations in the first, second, and even farther cation shells. We illustrate the types of information available, some of the limitations of this approach, and the great prospects for future experimental and theoretical work in this field. We give examples for the effects of paramagnetic transition metal, lanthanide, and actinide cation substitutions in simple oxides, pyrochlore, zircon, monazite, olivine, garnet, pyrochlores, and olivine structures.

Puzzling Lack of Temperature Dependence of the PuO2 Magnetic Susceptibility Explained According to Ab Initio Wave Function Calculations

The electronic structure and the magnetic properties of solid PuO₂ are investigated by wave function theory calculations, using a relativistic complete active space (CAS) approach including spin-orbit coupling. The experimental magnetic susceptibility is well reproduced by calculations for an embedded PuO₈^12- cluster model. The calculations indicate that the surprising lack of temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility χ of solid PuO₂ can be rationalized based on the properties of a single Pu⁴⁺ ion in the cubic ligand field of the surrounding oxygen ions. Below ∼300 K, the only populated state is the nonmagnetic ground state, leading to standard temperature-independent paramagnetism (TIP). Above 300 K, there is an almost perfect cancellation of temperature-dependent contributions to χ that depends delicately on the mixing of ion levels in the electronic states, their relative energies, and the magnetic coupling between them.

Probing Oxide-Ion Mobility in the Mixed Ionic-Electronic Conductor La2NiO4+δ by Solid-State (17)O MAS NMR Spectroscopy

While solid-state NMR spectroscopic techniques have helped clarify the local structure and dynamics of ionic conductors, similar studies of mixed ionic–electronic conductors (MIECs) have been hampered by the paramagnetic behavior of these systems. Here we report high-resolution ¹⁷O (I = 5/2) solid-state NMR spectra of the mixed-conducting solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathode material La₂NiO_4+δ, a paramagnetic transition-metal oxide. Three distinct oxygen environments (equatorial, axial, and interstitial) can be assigned on the basis of hyperfine (Fermi contact) shifts and quadrupolar nutation behavior, aided by results from periodic DFT calculations. Distinct structural distortions among the axial sites, arising from the nonstoichiometric incorporation of interstitial oxygen, can be resolved by advanced magic angle turning and phase-adjusted sideband separation (MATPASS) NMR experiments. Finally, variable-temperature spectra reveal the onset of rapid interstitial oxide motion and exchange with axial sites at ∼130 °C, associated with the reported orthorhombic-to-tetragonal phase transition of La₂NiO_4+δ. From the variable-temperature spectra, we develop a model of oxide-ion dynamics on the spectral time scale that accounts for motional differences of all distinct oxygen sites. Though we treat La₂NiO_4+δ as a model system for a combined paramagnetic ¹⁷O NMR and DFT methodology, the approach presented herein should prove applicable to MIECs and other functionally important paramagnetic oxides.

Self-healing capacity of nuclear glass observed by NMR spectroscopy

Safe management of high level nuclear waste is a worldwide significant issue for which vitrification has been selected by many countries. There exists a crucial need for improving our understanding of the ageing of the glass under irradiation. While external irradiation by ions provides a rapid simulation of damage induced by alpha decays, short lived actinide doping is more representative of the reality. Here, we report radiological NMR experiments to compare the damage in International Simplified Glass (ISG) when irradiated by these two methods. In the 0.1 mole percent ²⁴⁴Cm doped glass, accumulation of high alpha decay only shows small modifications of the local structure, in sharp contrast to heavy ion irradiation. These results reveal the ability of the alpha particle to partially repair the damage generated by the heavy recoil nuclei highlighting the radiation resistance of nuclear glass and the difficulty to accurately simulate its behaviour by single ion beam irradiations.

Use of (77)Se and (125)Te NMR Spectroscopy to Probe Covalency of the Actinide-Chalcogen Bonding in [Th(En){N(SiMe3)2}3](-) (E = Se, Te; n = 1, 2) and Their Oxo-Uranium(VI) Congeners

Reaction of [Th(I)(NR2)3] (R = SiMe3) (1) with 1 equiv of either [K(18-crown-6)]2[Se4] or [K(18-crown-6)]2[Te2] affords the thorium dichalcogenides, [K(18-crown-6)][Th(η(2)-E2)(NR2)3] (E = Se, 2; E = Te, 3), respectively. Removal of one chalcogen atom via reaction with Et3P, or Et3P and Hg, affords the monoselenide and monotelluride complexes of thorium, [K(18-crown-6)][Th(E)(NR2)3] (E = Se, 4; E = Te, 5), respectively. Both 4 and 5 were characterized by X-ray crystallography and were found to feature the shortest known Th-Se and Th-Te bond distances. The electronic structure and nature of the actinide-chalcogen bonds were investigated with (77)Se and (125)Te NMR spectroscopy accompanied by detailed quantum-chemical analysis. We also recorded the (77)Se NMR shift for a U(VI) oxo-selenido complex, [U(O)(Se)(NR2)3](-) (δ((77)Se) = 4905 ppm), which features the highest frequency (77)Se NMR shift yet reported, and expands the known (77)Se chemical shift range for diamagnetic substances from ∼3300 ppm to almost 6000 ppm. Both (77)Se and (125)Te NMR chemical shifts of given chalcogenide ligands were identified as quantitative measures of the An-E bond covalency within an isoelectronic series and supported significant 5f-orbital participation in actinide-ligand bonding for uranium(VI) complexes in contrast to those involving thorium(IV). Moreover, X-ray diffraction studies together with NMR spectroscopic data and density functional theory (DFT) calculations provide convincing evidence for the actinide-chalcogen multiple bonding in the title complexes. Larger An-E covalency is observed in the [U(O)(E)(NR2)3](-) series, which decreases as the chalcogen atom becomes heavier.

Magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy: a versatile technique for structural and dynamic analysis of solid-phase systems

Magic Angle Spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy is a powerful method for analysis of a broad range of systems, including inorganic materials, pharmaceuticals, and biomacromolecules. The recent developments in MAS NMR instrumentation and methodologies opened new vistas to atomic-level characterization of a plethora of chemical environments previously inaccessible to analysis, with unprecedented sensitivity and resolution.