Syntheses
and Structures of Uranyl Ethylenediphosphonates:
From Layers to Elliptical Nanochannels
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Abstract
A family
of uranium diphosphonates have been hydrothermally synthesized
through the reaction of ethylenediphosphonic acid (EDP, H<sub>4</sub>L) and uranyl nitrate/zinc uranyl acetate in the presence of organic
templates, such as tetraethyl ammonium (NEt<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>), 4,4′-bipyridine (bipy), and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen).
The UO<sub>2</sub><sup>2+</sup> in UO<sub>2</sub>(H<sub>2</sub>O)(H<sub>2</sub>L)(<b>EDP-U1</b>) is equatorially five-coordinated by
four phosphonate groups and one aqua ligand, forming a pentagonal
bipyramid. Each EDP ligand is doubly protonated and chelates three
UO<sub>2</sub><sup>2+</sup>, resulting in a layered structure. Compounds
(NEt<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub>(UO<sub>2</sub>)<sub>3</sub>(HL)<sub>2</sub>(H<sub>2</sub>L)·4H<sub>2</sub>O (<b>EDP-U2</b>) and (H<sub>2</sub>bipy)UO<sub>2</sub>L (<b>EDP-U3</b>) have the same layered structure in which NEt<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup> and protonated bipy fill in the uranyl–phosphonate
interlayers, respectively, and play a role to balance the negative
charges. Different from that in <b>EDP-U1</b>, the UO<sub>2</sub><sup>2+</sup> exists in the form of a UO<sub>6</sub> tetragonal bipyramid
and is surrounded by four different EDP ligands in <b>EDP-U2</b> and <b>EDP-U3</b>. (Hphen)<sub>2</sub>(UO<sub>2</sub>)<sub>2</sub>(H<sub>2</sub>L)<sub>3</sub> (<b>EDP-U4</b>) features a three-dimensional framework structure with large elliptical
channels along the <i>c</i> axis (1.3 × 1.1 nm<sup>2</sup>). Monoprotonated phen molecules fill in these channels and
hold together through strong π···π interactions.
All of the four compounds have been characterized by IR and photoluminescent
spectroscopy. Their characteristic emissions have been attributed
as transition properties of uranyl cations. The ion-exchange study
indicates that [Co(en)<sub>3</sub>]<sup>3+</sup> could partially
replace the protonated phen molecules