Raman study of aqueous rare earth nitrate solutions in liquid and glassy states

Physicochemical Characterization and Antimicrobial Properties of Lanthanide Nitrates in Dilute Aqueous Solutions

This work presents the results of studying dilute aqueous solutions of commercial Ln(NO3)3 · xH2O salts with Ln = Ce-Lu using X-ray diffraction (XRD), IR spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS: EXAFS/XANES), and pH measurements. As a reference point, XRD and XAS measurements for characterized Ln(NO3)3 · xH2O microcrystalline powder samples were performed. The local structure of Ln-nitrate complexes in 20 mM Ln(NO3)3 · xH2O aqueous solution was studied under total external reflection conditions and EXAFS geometry was applied to obtain high-quality EXAFS data for solutions with low concentrations of Ln3+ ions. Results obtained by EXAFS spectroscopy showed significant contraction of the first coordination sphere during the dissolution process for metal ions located in the middle of the lanthanide series. It was established that in Ln(NO3)3 · xH2O solutions with Ln = Ce, Sm, Gd, Yb (c = 134, 100, 50 and 20 mM) there are coordinated and, to a greater extent, non-coordinated nitrate groups with bidentate and predominantly monodentate bonds with Ln ions, the number of which increases upon transition from cerium to ytterbium. For the first time, the antibacterial and antifungal activity of Ln(NO3)3 · xH2O Ln = Ce, Sm, Gd, Tb, Yb solutions with different concentrations and pH was presented. Cross-relationships between the concentration of solutions and antimicrobial activity with the type of Ln = Ce, Sm, Gd, Tb, Yb were established, as well as the absence of biocidal properties of solutions with a concentration of 20 mM, except for Ln = Yb. The important role of experimental conditions in obtaining and interpreting the results was noted.

Direct Observation of Contact Ion-Pair Formation in La3+ Methanol Solution

An approach combining molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) has been used to carry out a comparative study about the solvation properties of dilute La(NO₃)₃ solutions in water and methanol, with the aim of elucidating the still elusive coordination of the La³⁺ ion in the latter medium. The comparison between these two systems enlightened a different behavior of the nitrate counterions in the two environments: while in water the La(NO₃)₃ salt is fully dissociated and the La³⁺ ion is coordinated by water molecules only, the nitrate anions are able to enter the metal first solvation shell to form inner-sphere complexes in methanol solution. The speciation of the formed complexes showed that the 10-fold coordination is preferential in methanol solution, where the nitrate anions coordinate the La³⁺ cations in a monodentate fashion and the methanol molecules complete the solvation shell to form an overall bicapped square antiprism geometry. This is at variance with the aqueous solution where a more balanced situation is observed between the 9- and 10-fold coordination. An experimental confirmation of the MD results was obtained by La K-edge XAS measurements carried out on 0.1 M La(NO₃)₃ solutions in the two solvents, showing the distinct presence of the nitrate counterions in the La³⁺ ion first solvation sphere of the methanol solution. The analysis of the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) part of the absorption spectrum collected on the methanol solution was carried out starting from the MD results and confirmed the structural arrangement observed by the simulations.

The formation of contact ion pairs between the La³⁺ ions and the nitrate anions has been demonstrated in diluted methanol solution using a combined approach using Molecular Dynamics simulations and X-ray absorption spectroscpy.

Structures and Free Energies of Cerium Ions in Acidic Electrolytes

The Ce³⁺/Ce⁴⁺ redox potential changes with the electrolyte, which could be due to unequal anion complexation free energies between Ce³⁺ and Ce⁴⁺ or a change in the solvent electrostatic screening. Ce complexation with anions and solvent screening also affect the solubility of Ce and charge transfer kinetics for electrochemical reactions involving waste remediation and energy storage. We report the structures and free energies of cerium complexes in seven acidic electrolytes based on Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure, UV-vis, and Density Functional Theory calculations. Ce³⁺ coordinates with nine water molecules as [Ce(H₂O)₉]³⁺ in all studied electrolytes. However, Ce⁴⁺ complexes with anions in all electrolytes except HClO₄. Thus, our results suggest that Ce⁴⁺-anion complexation leads to the large shifts in standard redox potential. Long range screening effects are smaller than the anion complexation energies but could be responsible for changes in the Ce solubility with acid.

Anion dependent ion pairing in concentrated ytterbium halide solutions

We have studied ion pairing of ytterbium halide solutions. THz spectra (30-400 cm^-1) of aqueous YbCl₃ and YbBr₃ solutions reveal fundamental differences in the hydration structures of YbCl₃ and YbBr₃ at high salt concentrations: While for YbBr₃ no indications for a changing local hydration environment of the ions were experimentally observed within the measured concentration range, the spectra of YbCl₃ pointed towards formation of weak contact ion pairs. The proposed anion specificity for ion pairing was confirmed by supplementary Raman measurements.

Raman spectroscopic characterization of light rare earth ions: La3+, Ce3+, Pr3+, Nd3+ and Sm3+ - hydration and ion pair formation

Raman spectra of aqueous La³⁺, Ce³⁺, Pr³⁺, Nd³⁺ and Sm³⁺ - perchlorate solutions were measured and weak strongly polarized Raman bands were detected at 343 cm^-1, 344 cm^-1, 347 cm^-1, 352 cm^-1 and 363 cm^-1, respectively. The full width at half height for these bands is quite broad (∼50 cm^-1) in the isotropic spectrum and the band width increases with increasing solute concentration. The polarized Raman bands were assigned to the breathing modes of the nona-aqua ions of the mentioned rare earth ions. Published structural results confirmed that these ions exist as nona-hydrates in aqueous solutions [Ln(H₂O)₉]³⁺. The Ln-O bond distances of these rare earth ions correlate well with the band positions of the nona-aqua ions [Ln(OH₂)₉]⁺³ (Ln = La³⁺, Ce³⁺, Pr³⁺, Nd³⁺ and Sm³⁺) and the force constants were calculated for these breathing modes. The strength of the force constants increase with decreasing the Ln-O bond distances (La-O > Ce-O > Pr-O > Nd-O > Sm-O). While the fully hydrated ions are stable in dilute perchlorate solutions (∼0.2 mol L^-1), in concentrated perchlorate solutions outer-sphere ion pairs and contact ion pairs are formed (C > 1.5 mol L^-1). In a hydrate melt at 161 °C of Ce(ClO₄)₃ plus 6H₂O, the contact ion pairs are the dominate species. The Raman bands of the ligated perchlorate and the Ce-O breathing mode of the partially hydrated ion pair at 326 cm^-1 were measured and characterized. In cerium chloride solutions chloro-complex formation was detected over the measured concentration range from 0.270-2.167 mol L^-1. The chloro-complexes in CeCl₃(aq) are weak and diminish rapidly with dilution and disappear at a concentration <0.1 mol L^-1. In a CeCl₃ solution, with additional HCl, a series of chloro-complex species of the type [Ce(OH₂)_9-nCl_n]^+3-n (n = 1, 2) were detected.

Lanthanum aluminum oxide thin-film dielectrics from aqueous solution

Amorphous LaAlO3 dielectric thin films were fabricated via solution processing from inorganic nitrate precursors. Precursor solutions contained soluble oligomeric metal-hydroxyl and/or -oxo species as evidenced by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and Raman spectroscopy. Thin-film formation was characterized as a function of annealing temperature using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray reflectivity (XRR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and an array of electrical measurements. Annealing temperatures ≥500 °C result in thin films with low leakage-current densities (∼1 × 10(-8) A·cm(-2)) and dielectric constants ranging from 11.0 to 11.5. When incorporated as the gate dielectric layer in a-IGZO thin-film transistors (TFTs), LaAlO3 thin films annealed at 600 °C in air yielded TFTs with relatively low average mobilities (∼4.5 cm(2)·V(-1)·s(-1)) and high turn-on voltages (∼26 V). Interestingly, reannealing the LaAlO3 in 5%H2/95%N2 at 300 °C before deposition of a-IGZO channel layers resulted in TFTs with increased average mobilities (11.1 cm(2)·V(-1)·s(-1)) and lower turn-on voltages (∼6 V).

Erbium(III) in aqueous solution: an ab initio molecular dynamics study

Structural and dynamical properties of the erbium(III) ion in water have been obtained by means of ab initio quantum mechanical charge field molecular dynamics (QMCF-MD) simulations for the ground state and an excited state. The quality of the simulations has been monitored by recording UV/vis and Raman spectra of dilute solutions of ErCl3 and Er(NO3)3 in water and by comparison with EXAFS data from literature. Slight deviations between these data can be mainly attributed to relativistic effects, which are not sufficiently considered by the methodological framework. In both simulations, a mixture of coordination numbers eight and nine and a ligand exchange on the picosecond range are observed. The strength of the Er-ligand bond is considerably lower than that of trivalent transition metal ions but higher than that for La(III) and Ce(III) in aqueous solution. The main difference between ground state and excited state is the ligand exchange rate of the first shell. The second hydration shell is stable in both cases but with significantly different properties.

Crystal growth and first crystallographic characterization of mixed uranium(IV)-plutonium(III) oxalates

The mixed-actinide uranium(IV)-plutonium(III) oxalate single crystals (NH4)0.5[Pu(III)0.5U(IV)0.5(C2O4)2·H2O]·nH2O (1) and (NH4)2.7Pu(III)0.7U(IV)1.3(C2O4)5·nH2O (2) have been prepared by the diffusion of different ions through membranes separating compartments of a triple cell. UV-vis, Raman, and thermal ionization mass spectrometry analyses demonstrate the presence of both uranium and plutonium metal cations with conservation of the initial oxidation state, U(IV) and Pu(III), and the formation of mixed-valence, mixed-actinide oxalate compounds. The structure of 1 and an average structure of 2 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and were solved by direct methods and Fourier difference techniques. Compounds 1 and 2 are the first mixed uranium(IV)-plutonium(III) compounds to be structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The structure of 1, space group P4/n, a = 8.8558(3) Å, b = 7.8963(2) Å, Z = 2, consists of layers formed by four-membered rings of the two actinide metals occupying the same crystallographic site connected through oxalate ions. The actinide atoms are nine-coordinated by oxygen atoms from four bidentate oxalate ligands and one water molecule, which alternates up and down the layer. The single-charged cations and nonbonded water molecules are disordered in the same crystallographic site. For compound 2, an average structure has been determined in space group P6/mmm with a = 11.158(2) Å and c = 6.400(1) Å. The honeycomb-like framework [Pu(III)0.7U(IV)1.3(C2O4)5](2.7-) results from a three-dimensional arrangement of mixed (U0.65Pu0.35)O10 polyhedra connected by five bis-bidentate μ(2)-oxalate ions in a trigonal-bipyramidal configuration.

Computational study of the cerium(III) ion in aqueous environment

This work comprises the first quantum chemical simulation study of the Ce3+ ion in aqueous environment. The structural and dynamical properties have been investigated by means of the quantum mechanical charge field (QMCF) molecular dynamics (MD) approach and the results, where applicable, have been compared to experimental data. Besides conventional analytical tools, angular radial distribution functions have been employed to gain deeper insight into the structure of the hydrate. The ion-oxygen stretching motion's wavenumber, further characterising the Ce-O bond, is in excellent agreement with experimental results, same as the structural values obtained from the simulation.

Synthesis of YBa2Cu3O(7-δ) and Y2BaCuO5 nanocrystalline powders for YBCO superconductors using carbon nanotube templates

We fabricate nanosized superconducting YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-δ) (Y-123) and nonsuperconducting Y(2)BaCuO(5) (Y-211) powders using carbon nanotubes as template. The mean particle size of Y-123 and Y-211 is 12 and 30 nm, respectively. The superconducting transition temperature of the Y-123 nanopowder is 90.9 K, similar to that of commercial, micrometer-scale powders fabricated by conventional processing. The elimination of carbon and the formation of a high purity superconducting phase both on the micro- and macroscale is confirmed by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. We also demonstrate improvement in the superconducting properties of YBCO single grain bulk samples fabricated using the nanosize Y-211 powder, both in terms of trapped field and critical current density. The former reaches 553 mT at 77 K, with a ∼20% improvement compared to samples fabricated from commercial powders. Thus, our processing method is an effective source of pinning centers in single grain superconductors.

A QMCF-MD investigation of the structure and dynamics of Ce4+ in aqueous solution

A quantum-mechanical charge-field molecular dynamics simulation has been performed for a tetravalent Ce ion in aqueous solution. In this framework, the complete first and second hydration spheres are treated by ab initio quantum mechanics supplemented by an electrostatic embedding technique, making the construction of non-Coulombic solute-solvent potentials unnecessary. During the 10 ps of simulation time, the structural aspects of the solution were analyzed by various methods. Experimental results such as the mean Ce-O bond distance and the predicted first-shell coordination number were compared to the results obtained from the simulation resolving some ambiguities in the literature. The dynamics of the system were characterized by mean ligand residence times and frequency/force constant calculations. Furthermore, Ce-O and Ce-H angular radial distribution plots were employed, yielding deeper insight into the structural and dynamical aspects of the system.

Hydration of trivalent lanthanum revisited - An ab initio QMCF-MD approach

The previously investigated La³⁺-hydrate has been re-evaluated by means of the quantum mechanical charge field (QMCF) molecular dynamics (MD) approach. Improved description of the hydration characteristics has been realised by including the full second hydration shell into the quantum mechanically treated region and by introducing the influence of the surrounding bulk via an electrostatic embedding technique. Analytical tools such as the ligand angular radial distribution analysis have been employed to gain deeper insight into the structural features of the hydrate. La³⁺ simultaneously forms nona- and decahydrates with capped trigonal and quadratic prismatic structure, besides small amounts of an octahydrate.

Raman Study of the Coordination Structure of a Rare Earth−Acetate Complex in Water

The Raman spectra of aqueous LnCl(3) x 20H(2)O x CH3(C)OOLi (LnCl(3), rare earth chloride) solutions have been measured in the liquid state. The change of the Raman symmetric Ln(3+)-OH(2) stretching band (v(w)) showed that the decrease in the ionic radius of rare earth (Ln(3+)) ions induces a change in coordination number of the Ln(3+) ion. The two peaks at 946 and 958 cm(-1) of the C-C stretching band (v(CC)) of the acetate ion are assigned to the bidentate ligand and the polymeric chain structure, respectively. The coordination structure of the acetate ion to Ln(3+) ion prefers the bidentate ligand to the polymeric chain structure throughout the rare earth series. The fraction of the bidentate ligand increases with decreasing ionic radius of the Ln(3+) ion. On the basis of the analyses of the v(w) and v(CC) bands, the change in the coordination number of the Ln(3+) ion is mainly due to the structural change (from the polymeric chain structure to the bidentate ligand) of the Ln(3+)-acetate complex rather than a elimination of one water molecule. Our results show that the Ln(3+) ions tend to form the bidentate ligand rather than the divalent (M(2+)) ions.