Coordination Chemistry and f-Element Complexation by Diethylenetriamine- N , N "bis(acetylglycine)- N , N ', N "-triacetic Acid
Here, potentiometric and spectroscopic techniques were used to evaluate the coordination behavior and thermodynamic features of trivalent f-element complexation by diethylenetriamine- N,N" -bis(acetylglycine)- N,N',N" -triacetic acid (DTTA-DAG) and its di(acetylglycine ethyl ester) analogue [diethylenetriamine- N,N" -bis(acetylglycine ethyl ester)- N,N',N" -triacetic acid (DTTA-DAGEE)]. Protonation constants and stability constants of trivalent lanthanide complexes (except Pm 3+ ) were determined by potentiometry. Six protonation sites and three metal–ligand complexes [ML 2– , MHL – , and MH 2 L(aq)] were quantified for DTTA-DAG. Four protonation sites and one metal–ligand complex [ML(aq)] were observed for DTTA-DAGEE, consistent with the presence of two ester groups. Absorption spectroscopy was utilized to measure the stability constants for complexation of trivalent neodymium and americium by DTTA-DAG and trivalent neodymium by DTTA-DAGEE. The coordination environment of trivalent europium in the presence of DTTA-DAG was investigated at various acidities by luminescence lifetime measurements. Decay constants indicate one water molecule in the inner coordination sphere across the 1.0 < pH < 5.5 range, presumably due to octadentate coordination by DTTA-DAG. A trans-lanthanide pattern of complex stabilities for DTTA-DAG was found to be analogous to that observed for DTPA, with a ~10 6 reduction of the complex stability. The lessened strength of complexation, relative to DTPA, was attributed to significant reduction of the total ligand basicity for DTTA-DAG due to the electronic influence of amide functionalization. When DTTA-DAG is used as an aqueous holdback complexant in liquid–liquid distribution experiments, the preferential coordination of Am 3+ in the aqueous environment offers efficient An/Ln differentiation. The separation extends to pH 2 conditions, where the kinetics of phase transfer in such liquid–liquid systems are aided by the acid-catalyzed dissociation of a metal/aminopolycarboxylate complex.