Oxidation–reduction reactions of simple hydroxamic acids and plutonium(IV) ions in nitric acid

Radiolytic evaluation of a new technetium redox control reagent for advanced used nuclear fuel separations

Technetium is a problematic radioisotope for used nuclear fuel (UNF) and subsequent waste management owing to its high environmental mobility and coextraction in reprocessing technologies as the pertechnetate anion (TcO4-). Consequently, several strategies are under development to control the transport of this radioisotope. A proposed approach is to use diaminoguanidine (DAG) for TcO4- and transuranic ion redox control. Although the initial DAG molecule is ultimately consumed in the redox process, its susceptibility to radiolysis is currently unknown under envisioned UNF reprocessing conditions, which is a critical knowledge gap for evaluating its overall suitability for this role. To this end, we report the impacts of steady-state gamma irradiation on the rate of DAG radiolysis in water, aqueous 2.0 M nitric acid (HNO3), and in a biphasic solvent system composed of aqueous 2.0 M HNO3 in contact with 1.5 M N,N-di-(2-ethylhexyl)isobutyramide (DEHiBA) dissolved in n-dodecane. Additionally, we report chemical kinetics for the reaction of DAG with key transients arising from electron pulse radiolysis, specifically the hydrated electron (eaq-), hydrogen atom (H˙), and hydroxyl (˙OH) and nitrate (NO3˙) radicals. The DAG molecule exhibited significant reactivity with the ˙OH and NO3˙ radicals, indicating that oxidation would be the predominant degradation pathway in radiation environments. This is consistent with its role as a reducing agent. Steady-state gamma irradiations demonstrated that DAG is readily degraded within a few hundred kilogray, the rate of which was found to increase upon going from water to HNO3 containing solutions and solvents systems. This was attributed to a thermal reaction between DAG and the predominant HNO3 radiolysis product, nitrous acid (HNO2), k(DAG + HNO2) = 5480 ± 85 M-1 s-1. Although no evidence was found for the radiolysis of DAG altering the radiation chemistry of the contacted DEHiBA/n-dodecane phase in the investigated biphasic system, the utility of DAG as a redox control reagent will likely be limited by significant competition with its degradation by HNO2.

Gamma Radiation-Induced Degradation of Acetohydroxamic Acid (AHA) in Aqueous Nitrate and Nitric Acid Solutions Evaluated by Multiscale Modelling

Acetohydroxamic acid (AHA) has been proposed for inclusion in advanced, single-cycle, used nuclear fuel reprocessing solvent systems for the reduction and complexation of plutonium and neptunium ions. For this application, a detailed description of the fundamental degradation of AHA in dilute aqueous nitric acid is required. To this end, we present a comprehensive, multiscale computer model for the coupled radiolytic and hydrolytic degradation of AHA in aqueous sodium nitrate and nitric acid solutions. Rate coefficients for the reactions of AHA and hydroxylamine (HA) with the oxidizing nitrate radical were measured for the first time using electron pulse radiolysis and used as inputs for the kinetic model. The computer model results are validated by comparison to experimental data from steady-state gamma ray irradiations, for which the agreement is excellent. The presented model accurately predicts the yields of the major degradation products of AHA: acetic acid, HA, nitrous oxide, and molecular hydrogen.

Complexation of Cyclic Glutarimidedioxime with Cerium: Surrogating for Redox Behavior of Plutonium

The complexation of cerium with glutarimidedioxime (H₂L) was studied by potentiometry, ESI-mass spectrometry, and cyclic voltammetry. Crystallization of [Ce^IV(HL)₃]⁺ from Ce³⁺ starting reactant indicated spontaneous complexation-driven oxidation. In aqueous solution, Ce³⁺ ions form three successive complexes, Ce(HL)²⁺, Ce(HL)₂⁺, and Ce(HL)₃ (where HL^- stands for the singly deprotonated ligand). The interactions of glutarimidedioxime with metal ions are dominantly electrostatic in nature, and the stability constants of the complexes are correlated to the charge density of metal ions. Extrapolations of predicted stability constant (log β) values were made from plotting effective charge and the ionic radius of the metal ion for Pu³⁺ and Pu⁴⁺. The stability constants of Pu^IV(HL)³⁺ and Pu^III(HL)²⁺ are estimated to be 27.74 and 19.75, respectively. The differences of stability constants mean that glutarimidedioxime selectively binds Pu⁴⁺ over Pu³⁺ by a factor of about 8 orders of magnitude, suggesting Pu⁴⁺ would be stabilized by chelation with glutarimidedioxime. The mechanism of reduction of Pu⁴⁺ to Pu³⁺ in acidic solution is explained by decomposition of glutarimidedioxime through acid hydrolysis rather than a chelation-driven mechanism.

Advanced direct method to quantify the kinetics of acetohydroxamic acid (AHA) by Raman spectroscopy

The ligand acetohydroxamic acid (AHA) suffers hydrolysis at acidic conditions. This reaction has been studied for a long time, due to its implications in different applications, by using indirect colorimetric methods. This work shows how Raman spectroscopy can be very useful as a direct technique for measuring the hydrolysis kinetics of AHA, faster, more versatile and easier compared with the indirect traditional UV-Vis method which needs a complex formation with Fe. Thereby, we present a detailed study of the qualitative and quantitative Raman spectra of 1 mol/L AHA and its hydrolysis products. These results enabled us to perform a complete kinetic study of this molecule at different pH ranging from 0.5 mol/L to 4 mol/L HNO₃, i.e. not only at excess acidic conditions but also at limiting nitric acid conditions.

Trends and Exceptions in the Interaction of Hydroxamic Acid Derivatives of Common Di- and Tripeptides with Some 3d and 4d Metal Ions in Aqueous Solution

By using various techniques (pH-potentiometry, UV-Visible spectrophotometry, ¹H and ¹⁷O-NMR, EPR, ESI-MS), first time in the literature, solution equilibrium study has been performed on complexes of dipeptide and tripeptide hydroxamic acids—AlaAlaNHOH, AlaAlaN(Me)OH, AlaGlyGlyNHOH, and AlaGlyGlyN(Me)OH—with 4d metals: the essential Mo(VI) and two half-sandwich type cations, [(η⁶-p-cym)Ru(H₂O)₃]²⁺ as well as [(η⁵-Cp*)Rh(H₂O)₃]²⁺, the latter two having potential importance in cancer therapy. The tripeptide derivatives have also been studied with some biologically important 3d metals, such as Fe(III), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II), in order to compare these new results with the corresponding previously obtained ones on dipeptide hydroxamic acids. Based on the outcomes, the effects of the type of metal ions, the coordination number, the number and types of donor atoms, and their relative positions to each other on the complexation have been evaluated in the present work. We hope that these collected results might be used when a new peptide-based hydroxamic acid molecule is planned with some purpose, e.g., to develop a potential metalloenzyme inhibitor.

Spectroscopic study of acetohydroxamic acid (AHA) hydrolysis in the presence of europium. Implications in the extraction system studies for lanthanide and actinide separation

Different implications of AHA hydrolysis affecting the extraction systems for actinide and lanthanide separation.

Neptunium(iv)-hydroxamate complexes: their speciation, and kinetics and mechanism of hydrolysis

First time determination of rate parameters for hydrolysis of mono- and bis-acetohydroxamatoneptunium(iv) complexes under conditions relevant to nuclear reprocessing.

Reduction of Plutonium(VI) to (V) by Hydroxamate Compounds at Environmentally Relevant pH

Natural organic matter is known to influence the mobility of plutonium (Pu) in the environment via complexation and reduction mechanisms. Hydroxamate siderophores have been specifically implicated due to their strong association with Pu. Hydroxamate siderophores can also break down into di and monohydroxamates and may influence the Pu oxidation state, and thereby its mobility. In this study we explored the reactions of Pu(VI) and Pu(V) with a monohydroxamate compound (acetohydroxamic acid, AHA) and a trihydroxamate siderophore desferrioxamine B (DFOB) at an environmentally relevant pH (5.5-8.2). Pu(VI) was instantaneously reduced to Pu(V) upon reaction with AHA. The presence of hydroxylamine was not observed at these pHs; however, AHA was consumed during the reaction. This suggests that the reduction of Pu(VI) to Pu(V) by AHA is facilitated by a direct one electron transfer. Importantly, further reduction to Pu(IV) or Pu(III) was not observed, even with excess AHA. We believe that further reduction of Pu(V) did not occur because Pu(V) does not form a strong complex with hydroxamate compounds at a circum-neutral pH. Experiments performed using desferrioxamine B (DFOB) yielded similar results. Broadly, this suggests that Pu(V) reduction to Pu(IV) in the presence of natural organic matter is not facilitated by hydroxamate functional groups and that other natural organic matter moieties likely play a more prominent role.

Complexation-assisted reduction: complexes of glutaroimide-dioxime with tetravalent actinides (Np(iv) and Th(iv))

Glutaroimide-dioxime forms strong complexes with Np(iv) and Th(iv) in aqueous solution and in crystals. The formation of Np(iv) complexes from initial Np(v) is interpreted by a complexation-assisted reduction mechanism.

Redox reactions of Pu(IV) and Pu(III) in the presence of acetohydroxamic acid in HNO(3) solutions

The reduction of Pu(IV) in the presence of acetohydroxamic acid (HAHA) was monitored by vis-NIR spectroscopy. All experiments were performed under low HAHA/Pu(IV) ratios, where only the Pu(IV)-monoacetohydroxamate complex and Pu uncomplexed with HAHA were present in relevant concentrations. Time dependent concentrations of all absorbing species were resolved using molar extinction coefficients for Pu(IV), Pu(III), and the Pu(AHA)(3+) complex by deconvolution of spectra. From fitting of the experimental data by rate equations integrated by a numeric method three reactions were proposed to describe a mechanism responsible for the reduction and oxidation of plutonium in the presence of HAHA and HNO(3). Decomposition of Pu(AHA)(3+) follows a second order reaction mechanism with respect to its own concentration and leads to the formation of Pu(III). At low HAHA concentrations, a two-electron reduction of uncomplexed Pu(IV) with HAHA also occurs. Formed Pu(III) is unstable and slowly reoxidizes back to Pu(IV), which, at the point when all HAHA is decomposed, can be catalyzed by the presence of nitrous acid.