Prediction of Redox Potentials for U, Np, Pu, and Am in Aqueous Solution

The redox properties of the actinides in aqueous solution are important for fuel production/reprocessing and understanding the environmental impact of nuclear waste. The redox potentials for U, Np, Pu, and Am in oxidation states from 0 up to VII (as appropriate) in aqueous solutions have been predicted at the density functional theory level with the B3LYP functional, Stuttgart small core pseudopotential basis sets for the actinides, and explicit (30H2O molecules)/implicit treatment of the aqueous solvent using the self-consistent reaction field COSMO and SMD approaches for the implicit solvation. The predictions of the structural parameters of clusters incorporating first and second solvation shells are consistent with the available experimental data. Our results are typically within 0.2 V of the available experimental data using two explicit solvation shells with an implicit solvent model. The use of the PW91 functional substantially improved the prediction of the Pu(VI/V) redox couple. The redox couples for An(VI/IV) and An(V/IV) which involve the addition of protons and removal of the actinyl oxygens led to slightly larger differences from an experiment. The An(IV/0) and An(III/0) couples were reliably predicted with our approach. Predictions of the unknown An(II/I) redox potentials were negative, consistent with expectations, and predictions for unknown An(VII/VI), An(III/II), and An(II/0) redox couples improve prior estimates.

Redox Potentials of Uranyl Ions in Macrocyclic Complexes: Quantifying the Role of Counter-Ions

Several uranyl ions strapped with Schiff-base ligands in the presence of redox-innocent metal ions are synthesized, and their reduction potentials are recently estimated. The change in Lewis acidity of the redox-innocent metal ions contributes to ∼60 mV/pK_a unit quantified which is intriguing. Upon increasing the Lewis acidity of metal ions, the number of triflate molecules found near the metal ions also increases whose contributions toward the redox potentials remain poorly understood and not quantified until now. Most importantly, to ease the computational burden, triflate anions are often neglected in quantum chemical models due to their larger size and weak coordination to metal ions. Herein, we have quantified and dissected the individual contributions that arise alone from Lewis acid metal ions and from triflate anions with electronic structure calculations. The triflate anion contributions are large, in particular, for divalent and trivalent anions that cannot be neglected. It was presumed to be innocent, but we here show that they can contribute more than 50% to the predicted redox potentials, suggesting that their vital role in the overall reduction processes cannot be neglected.

Disproportionation of the Uranyl(V) Coordination Complexes in Aqueous Solution through Outer-Sphere Electron Transfer

Among the linear actinyl(VI/V) cations, the uranyl(V) species are particularly intriguing because they are unstable and exhibit a unique behavior to undergo H⁺ promoted disproportionation in aqueous solution and form stable uranyl(VI) and U(IV) complexes. This study uses density functional theory (DFT) combined with the conductor-like polarizable continuum model approach to investigate [UO₂]^2+/+ to [U^IVO₂] reduction free energies (RFEs) and explores the stability of uranyl(V) complexes in aqueous solution through computing disproportionation free energies (DFEs) for an outer-sphere electron transfer process. In addition to the aqua complex (U1), another three commonly encountered ligands such as chloride (U2), acetate (U3), and carbonate (U4) in aqueous environmental conditions are taken into account. For the U1 complex, the computed 1e^- (V/IV) and 2e^- (VI/IV) RFEs are in good agreement with experiments. The computed DFEs reveal that the presence of H⁺ is imperative for the disproportionation to take place. Although the presence of the alkali cations favors the disproportionation to some extent, they cannot fully make the reaction thermodynamically feasible. For the anionic complexes, the high negative charge does not allow for the formation of a cation-cation encounter complex due to Coulombic repulsion. Furthermore, an additional factor is the ligand exchange reaction which is also an energy-demanding step. Therefore, the current study examined the Kern-Orlemann mechanism and our results validate the mechanism based on DFT computed DFEs and propose that for the anionic complexes, an outer-sphere electron transfer is highly probable and our computed protonation free energies further support this claim.

Lanthanide and actinide doped B12H122- and Al12H122- clusters: new magnetic superatoms with f-block elements

In recent years, actinide containing clusters have attracted immense attention because of the distinctive bonding properties of their 5f and 6d electrons. In this context, in the present work, we have studied the isoelectronic series of actinide (An = Np⁺, Pu²⁺, Am³⁺) doped B₁₂H₁₂^2- and Al₁₂H₁₂^2- clusters using density functional theory (DFT). Similarly, corresponding isoelectronic lanthanide (Ln = Pm⁺, Sm²⁺, Eu³⁺) doped clusters are also investigated using DFT for comparison. Both exohedral and endohedral metal doped Al₁₂H₁₂^2- clusters are investigated in various possible spin states, whereas for B₁₂H₁₂^2- only exohedral metal doped clusters are studied due to its smaller cage diameter. Among all the metal doped clusters, the exohedral metal doped B₁₂H₁₂^2- and Al₁₂H₁₂^2- clusters in a septet spin state with retained high spin population on the doped actinide ion, are the most stable, indicating that all these doped clusters are magnetic in nature. The high stability of exohedral clusters is due to small steric repulsion as compared to that in the corresponding endohedral clusters. A prominent charge transfer from cage to metal ion is responsible for the strong interaction of the doped metal ion with the cage atoms. The studied Ln@B₁₂H₁₂^2- (Ln@Al₁₂H₁₂^2-) and An@B₁₂H₁₂^2- (An@Al₁₂H₁₂^2-) clusters are not only thermodynamically stable, but also kinetically stable. Metal ion encapsulated endohedral Al₁₂H₁₂^2- clusters are found to satisfy the 32-electron principle corresponding to the completely filled s, p, d and f shells of the central f-block atom. Theoretical predictions of these lanthanide and actinide doped stable B₁₂H₁₂^2- and Al₁₂H₁₂^2- clusters could encourage experimentalists for the preparation of these metal-doped clusters. Thus, the present work offers borane and alane clusters as new hosts for encapsulating radioactive actinides. Furthermore, various functional derivatives of these actinide doped B₁₂H₁₂^2- clusters may find applications in the field of radiation medicine.

Strong influence of weak hydrogen bonding on actinide-phosphonate complexation: accurate predictions from DFT followed by experimental validation

Among the varied classes of weak hydrogen bond, the CHO type is one of immense interest as it governs the finer structures of biological and chemical molecules, hence determining their functionalities. In the present work, this weak hydrogen bond has been shown to strongly influence the complexation behaviour of uranyl nitrate [UO2(NO3)2] with diamyl-H-phosphonate (DAHP) and its branched isomer disecamyl-H-phosphonate (DsAHP). The structures of the bare ligands and complexes have been optimized by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Surprisingly, despite having the same chemical composition the branched UO2(NO3)2·2DsAHP complex shows a remarkably higher stability (by ∼14 kcal mol-1) compared to the UO2(NO3)2·2DAHP complex. Careful inspection of the optimized structures reveals the existence of multiple CHO hydrogen-bonding interactions between the nitrate oxygens or U[double bond, length as m-dash]O oxygens and the α-hydrogens in the alkyl chains of the ligands. Comparatively stronger such bonds are found in the UO2(NO3)2·2DsAHP complex. The binding free energies associated with the complexes are computed and favoured superior binding energetics for the more stable UO2(NO3)2·2DsAHP complex. Calculations involving diisoamyl-H-phosphonate (DiAHP) and its complexes have also been performed. Theoretical predictions are experimentally tested by carrying out the extraction of U(vi) from nitric acid media using these ligands. DAHP, DsAHP and DiAHP are synthesised, characterised by NMR and evaluated for their physicochemical properties viz. viscosity, density and aqueous solubility. It was experimentally discovered that indeed DsAHP complexation with uranyl nitrate is more favoured. H-phosphonates are generically classified as acidic extractants owing to the formation of an enol tautomer at lower acidities, hence complexing the metal ion by proton exchange. Our experiments interestingly reveal a neutral ligand characteristic for DsAHP alone which is generically an acidic extractant. Furthermore, the enol tautomer of H-phosphonates that governs their extraction profiles at low acidities is also explored by DFT and the anomalous pH dependent complexation trend of DsAHP could be successfully explained. The extractions of Pu(iv) and Th(iv) have also been carried out in addition to U(vi). Solvent extraction behaviour of Am(iii) was also studied with all three ligands; the positive binding energies computed for the Am(iii) complexation corroborate with our experimental results on the poor extraction of Am(iii).

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations of VI/V reduction potentials of uranyl coordination complexes in non-aqueous solutions

Of particular interest within the +6 uranium complexes is the linear uranyl(vi) cation and it forms numerous coordination complexes in solution and exhibits incongruent redox behavior depending on coordinating ligands. In this study, to determine the reduction potentials of uranyl complexes in non-aqueous solutions, a hybrid density functional theory (DFT) approach was used in which two different DFT functionals, B3LYP and M06, were applied. Bulk solvent effects were invoked through the conductor-like polarizable continuum model. The solute cavities were described with the united-atom Kohn-Sham (UAKS) cavity definition. Inside the cavity the dielectric constant matches the value of a vacuum and outside the cavity the dielectric constant value is the same as that of the solvent of interest, for example, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), dimethylformamide (DMF), dichloromethane (DCM), acetonitrile and pyridine. With the help of the Nernst equation the calculated reduction potentials with respect to the ferrocene (Fc) reference electrode are converted into reduction free energies (RFEs). Uranyl complexes of organic ligands which range from mono- to hexa-dentate coordination modes were investigated in non-aqueous solutions of DMSO, DMF, DCM, acetonitrile and pyridine solutions. The effect of the spin-orbit correction and the reference electrode correction on the RFEs and various methods such as the direct method and the isodesmic reaction model were explored. Overall, our computational determination of RFEs of uranyl complexes in various non-aqueous solutions demonstrates that the RFEs can be obtained within ∼0.2 eV of experimental values.

Unusual intramolecular CH⋯O hydrogen bonding interaction between a sterically bulky amide and uranyl oxygen

An unusual intramolecular CH⋯O hydrogen bonding interaction between a sterically bulky amide and uranyl oxygen is found to selectively extract uranyl.

Uranyl extraction by N,N-dialkylamide ligands studied using static and dynamic DFT simulations

DFT/MM-MD simulations highlight the structure and dynamics of mixed uranyl/nitrato/monoamides (L) complexes at an “oil”/water interface.

Theoretical study of plutonium(IV) complexes formed within the PUREX process: a proposal of a plutonium surrogate in fire conditions

We present a relativistic quantum chemical study to determine the best surrogate for plutonium(IV) to be used in experimental investigations of the behavior of plutonium-nitrate-TBP in fire conditions that might occur in the nuclear fuel refining process known as PUREX. In this study geometries and stabilities of Pu(NO3)6(2-) and Pu(NO3)4(TBP)2 complexes were compared to that of equivalent complexes of selected elements from the lanthanide and actinide series (Ce, Th, U) chosen on the basis of similar ionic radii and stability as tetravalent species. PBE and PBE0 DFT functionals have proven to be sufficient and affordable for qualitative studies, performing as good as the wave function based correlated method MP2. On the basis of our results, cerium(IV) appears to be a good surrogate for plutonium(IV).

Computational electrochemistry: prediction of liquid-phase reduction potentials

This article reviews recent developments and applications in the area of computational electrochemistry. Our focus is on predicting the reduction potentials of electron transfer and other electrochemical reactions and half-reactions in both aqueous and nonaqueous solutions. Topics covered include various computational protocols that combine quantum mechanical electronic structure methods (such as density functional theory) with implicit-solvent models, explicit-solvent protocols that employ Monte Carlo or molecular dynamics simulations (for example, Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics using the grand canonical ensemble formalism), and the Marcus theory of electronic charge transfer. We also review computational approaches based on empirical relationships between molecular and electronic structure and electron transfer reactivity. The scope of the implicit-solvent protocols is emphasized, and the present status of the theory and future directions are outlined.

Density functional theory calculations of the redox potentials of actinide(VI)/actinide(V) couple in water

The measured redox potential of an actinide at an electrode surface involves the transfer of a single electron from the electrode surface on to the actinide center. Before electron transfer takes place, the complexing ligands and molecules of solvation need to become structurally arranged such that the electron transfer is at its most favorable. Following the electron transfer, there is further rearrangement to obtain the minimum energy structure for the reduced state. As such, there are three parts to the total energy cycle required to take the complex from its ground state oxidized form to its ground state reduced form. The first part of the energy comes from the structural rearrangement and solvation energies of the actinide species before the electron transfer or charge transfer process; the second part, the energy of the electron transfer; the third part, the energy required to reorganize the ligands and molecules of solvation around the reduced species. The time resolution of electrochemical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry is inadequate to determine to what extent bond and solvation rearrangement occurs before or after electron transfer; only for a couple to be classed as reversible is it fast in terms of the experimental time. Consequently, the partitioning of the energy theoretically is of importance to obtain good experimental agreement. Here we investigate the magnitude of the instantaneous charge transfer through calculating the fast one electron reduction energies of AnO2(H2O)n(2+), where An = U, Np, and Pu, for n = 4-6, in solution without inclusion of the structural optimization energy of the reduced form. These calculations have been performed using a number of DFT functionals, including the recently developed functionals of Zhao and Truhlar. The results obtained for calculated electron affinities in the aqueous phase for the AnO2(H2O)5(2+/+) couples are within 0.04 V of accepted experimental redox potentials, nearly an order of magnitude improvement on previous calculated standard potentials E(0) values, obtained using both DFT and high level multireference approaches.

First-principles study of the separation of Am(III)/Cm(III) from Eu(III) with Cyanex301

The experimentally observed extraction complexes of trivalent lanthanide Eu(III) and actinide Am(III)/Cm(III) cations with purified Cyanex301 [bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)dithiophosphinic acid, HBTMPDTP denoted as HL], i.e., ML(3) (M = Eu, Am, Cm) as well as the postulated complexes HAmL(4) and HEuL(4)(H(2)O) have been studied by using energy-consistent 4f- and 5f-in-core pseudopotentials for trivalent f elements, combined with density functional theory and second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory. Special attention was paid to explaining the high selectivity of Cyanex301 for Am(III)/Cm(III) over Eu(III). It is shown that the neutral complexes ML(3), where L acts as a bidentate ligand and the metal cation is coordinated by six S atoms, are most likely the most stable extraction complexes. The calculated metal-sulfur bond distances for ML(3) do reflect the cation employed; i.e., the larger the cation, the longer the metal-sulfur bond distances. The calculated M-S and M-P bond lengths agree very well with the available experimental data. The obtained changes of the Gibbs free energies in the extraction reactions M(3+) + 3HL → ML(3) + 3H(+) agree with the thermodynamical priority for Am(3+) and Cm(3+). Moreover, the ionic metal-ligand dissociation energies of the extraction complexes ML(3) show that, although EuL(3) is the most stable complex in the gas phase, it is the least stable in aqueous solution.

Theoretical study of the microhydration of mononuclear and dinuclear uranium(VI) species derived from solvolysis of uranyl nitrate in water

The structures and energetics of mononuclear and dinuclear uranium species formed upon speciation of uranyl(VI) nitrate, UO(2)(NO(3))(2), in water are investigated by quantum chemistry using density functional theory and the wavefunction-based methods (MP2, CCSD, CCSD(T)). We provide a discussion of the basic coordination patterns of the various mono- and dinuclear uranyl compounds [(UO(2))(m)(X,Y)(2m-1)(H2O)(n)](+) (m = 1, 2; n = 0-4) found in a recent mass spectrometric study (Tsierkezos et al., Inorg Chem 2009, 48, 6287). The energetics of the complexation of the uranyl dication to the counterions OH(-) and NO(3) (-) as well as the degradation of the dinuclear species were studied by reference to a test set of 16 representative molecules with the MP2 method and the B3LYP, M06, M06-HF, and M06-2X DFT functionals. All DFT functionals provide structures and energetics close to MP2 results, with M06 family being slightly superior to the standard B3LYP functional.