Publikationsrepositorium - Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf

Coordination polymers are organic-inorganic complexes built up from the association of metallic centers with O- or N-donor ligands. In the particular case of actinides (An), previous literature mainly has reported the synthesis of solid networks bearing U(VI) or Th(IV). Trans-uranium elements have been much less studied due to their high radiotoxicity and limited amount of the material source.
In this work, we studied the crystallization of Np(IV) with various aromatic polycarboxylate ligands in different solvents and analyzed their crystal structures. In water, an infinite chain of Np2O2(H2O)2(1,2-bdc)2 were isolated in the presence of phthalate, whereas mellitic acid leads to the oxidation of Np(IV) to Np(V) and the formation of inorganic layers of {NpO7H2O0-2}.1 The use of other solvents allowed the crystallization of large polynuclear discrete Np(IV) clusters. For example, using DMF, the hexanuclear unit of [Np6O4(OH)4] has been obtained with different dicarboxylic ligands and is the basic building unit to form an open-framework structure (Figure 1, left). This framework revealed the isolation of the hexanuclear cluster An6O8 with Np(IV).2 The formation of the giant neptunium-based polyoxo cluster called Np38 will be also presented.