Theoretical Insight into Coordination Chemistry of Am(VI) and Am(V) with Phenanthroline Ligand: Implications for High Oxidation State Based Minor Actinide Separation.

Abstract

Despite continuing and burgeoning interest in americium (Am) coordination chemistry in recent years, investigations of the electronic structures and bonding chemistry of high oxidation state americium complexes and their implications for minor actinide separation remain relatively less explored to date. Here, we used density functional theory (DFT) to create high oxidation states of americium but experimentally feasible models of Am(V) and Am(VI) complexes of phenanthroline ligand (DAPhen) as [AmO2(L)]1+/2+ and [AmO3(L)]1+ (L = 2,9-bis[(N,N-dimethyl)-carbonyl]-1,10-phenanthroline (oxo-DAPhen, LO) and 2,9-bis[(N,N-dimethyl)-thio-carbonyl]-1,10-phenanthroline (thio-DAPhen, LS)), meanwhile comparing these with [UO2(L)]2+. On the basis of the calculations, the Am(V) and Am(VI) oxidation state are thermodynamically feasible and can be stabilized by DAPhen ligands. From a comparative study, the strength of thio-DAPhen in the separation of high oxidation state Am emerges better than does oxo-DAPhen, which relates to the nature, energy level, and spatial arrangement of their frontier orbitals. This study provides fundamental knowledge toward understanding the transuranic separations processes, which has implications in designing new, more selective extraction processes for the separation of Am from curium (Cm) as well as lanthanide.