Publikationsrepositorium - Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf

Thermodynamic parameters for the complexation of Eu³⁺ with pyromellitic acid (1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid, BTC) as a model system for polymerisable metal-complexing humic acids were determined using temperature-dependent time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). At low metal and ligand concentrations (<50 µM Eu³⁺, <1 mM BTC), a 1:1 monomeric Eu-BTC complex was identified in the range of 25-60°C. At elevated concentrations (>500 µM Eu³⁺ and BTC) a temperature-dependent polymerization was observed. The two methods lead to consistent thermodynamic data (ΔH = 18.5 ± 1.5/16.5 ± 0.1 kJ mol^-1; ΔS = 152 ± 5/130 J mol^-1 K-1; TRLFS/ITC) in the absence of polymerisation. With the onset of polymeristaion, TRLFS reveals the water coordination number of the lanthanide, whereas calorimetry is superior in determining the thermodynamic data in this regime. Evaluating the heat uptake kinetics, the monomer and polymer formation steps could be separated by "time-resolved" ITC, revealing almost identical binding enthalpies for the sequential reactions. Structural features of the complexes were studied by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy in combination with density functional theory (DFT) calculations showing predominantly monodentate binding of a single carboxylate group in both the monomeric and the polymeric complexes of the polycarboxylate with Eu3+. The data show that pyromellitic acid is a suitable model for the study of metal-mediated polymerisation as a crucial factor in determining the effect of humic acids on the mobility of radionuclides in soils.