Sensing Uranyl(VI) Ions by Coordination and Energy Transfer to a Luminescent Europium(III) Complex

Peter Harvey,Louise S Natrajan,Carlos Platas‐Iglesias,Aline Nonat,Loïc J Charbonnière

doi:10.1002/ange.201805316

Peter Harvey, Louise S Natrajan + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.201805316

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Abstract

AbstractThe release of uranyl(VI) is a hazardous environmental issue, with limited ways to monitor accumulation in situ. Here, we present a method for the detection of uranyl(VI) ions through the utilization of a unique fluorescence energy transfer process to europium(III). Our system displays the first example of a “turn‐on” europium(III) emission process with a small, water‐soluble lanthanide complex triggered by uranyl(VI) ions.

Highlights

The release of uranyl(VI) is a hazardous environmental issue, with limited ways to monitor accumulation in situ
The development of nuclear technologies has led to many cases of accidental and intentional release of radionuclides, with accumulation of significant levels of uranium in the environment.[1]
While direct interpretation of these transitions can be complicated by speciation and spectral overlap with optical transitions from biological media,[5] they do provide a means for indirect UO22+ detection via energy transfer to other longer wavelength emissive species

Summary

Introduction

The release of uranyl(VI) is a hazardous environmental issue, with limited ways to monitor accumulation in situ. Such bands are characteristic of the presence of UO22+ complexes in solution and could only realistically be attributed to UO22+ transitions from the Laporte forbidden O-to-U ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) transition and from the LMCT from the equatorial ligands, respectively.[9] The excitation spectra clearly suggest that the energy absorbed by UO22+, or by its corresponding hydrolysis species, is transferred to Eu3+.

Results

Conclusion