The lanthanide and actinide elements have been used in diverse practical fields ranging from energy generation to life sciences. However, the separation of lanthanides is challenging due to their similar ion radius and inert redox activity in aqueous media leading to chemical similarities between these elements. The development of simple and cost-effective lanthanide separation methods is highly desirable. A series of tetrazolate-derived ligands build unique periodic trends, due to their rich coordination chemistry, which amplifying differences of lanthanide ions, which allows their application on lanthanide separations. In addition, Intervalence charge transfer (IVCT) is rare in f-element systems since heavily localized f-electrons and weak overlap between the f-orbitals and the ligands. Meanwhile, the research of transuranic complexes exhibiting delocalized f-electrons will help elucidate f-electron interactions and bonding character. Tetrazolate-derived ligands are ideal bridging ligands due to conjugation, their small size, and the easily accessible lone pairs on the nitrogen atoms. The synthesis of binuclear compounds of plutonium and 5-pyrimidyl-tetrazolate lays a solid foundation for future redox and charge transfer studies with plutonium and more transuranium elements.

Coordination Chemistry of Tetrazolate-derived Ligands with lanthanide and actinide elements

ACS Spring 2022

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