Formation of ternary CaUO2(CO3)32− and Ca2UO2(CO3)3(aq) complexes under neutral to weakly alkaline conditions
Jun-Yeop Lee,Jong-Il Yun
Dalton Transactions Pub Date : 04/26/2013 00:00:00 , DOI:10.1039/C3DT50863C
Abstract

The chemical behavior of ternary Ca–UO2–CO3 complexes was investigated by using time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) in combination with EDTA complexation at pH 7–9. A novel TRLFS revealed two distinct fluorescence lifetimes of 12.7 ± 0.2 ns and 29.2 ± 0.4 ns for uranyl complexes which were formed increasingly dependent upon the calcium ion concentration, even though nearly indistinguishable fluorescence peak shapes and positions were measured for both Ca–UO2–CO3 complexes. For identifying the stoichiometric number of complexed calcium ions, slope analysis in terms of relative fluorescence intensity versus calcium concentration was employed in a combination with the complexation reaction of CaEDTA2− by adding EDTA. The formation of CaUO2(CO3)32− and Ca2UO2(CO3)3(aq) was identified under given conditions and their formation constants were determined at I = 0.1 M Na/HClO4 medium, and extrapolated to infinitely dilute solution using specific ion interaction theory (SIT). As a result, the formation constants for CaUO2(CO3)32− and Ca2UO2(CO3)3(aq) were found to be log β0113 = 27.27 ± 0.14 and log β0213 = 29.81 ± 0.19, respectively, providing that the ternary Ca–UO2–CO3 complexes were predominant uranium(VI) species at neutral to weakly alkaline pH in the presence of Ca2+ and CO32− ions.

Graphical abstract: Formation of ternary CaUO2(CO3)32− and Ca2UO2(CO3)3(aq) complexes under neutral to weakly alkaline conditions