Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf

Chemistry of the f-elements

PD Dr. habil. Moritz Schmidt

Head Chemistry of the f-elements

Porträt PD Dr. habil. Schmidt, Moritz; FWOF

Phone

+49 351 260 3156, +49 351 260 2536

Email

moritz.schmidtAthzdr.de

Link

ORCID: 0000-0002-8419-0811

Address
Building/Office

Bautzner Landstraße 400 - 01328 Dresden
801/P249, 850/16.1

Scientific career

  • Current:
    Head of the department "Chemistry of the f-elements" Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Institute of Resource Ecology.
  • 2013 – 2018:
    Helmholtz Young Investigator group leader at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Institute of Resource Ecology.
  • 2012 – 2013:
    Research associate at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal.
  • 2010 – 2012:
    Research Associate at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division.
  • 11/2009:
    PhD at the University of Heidelberg, Department of Chemistry, “Untersuchungen zum Einbaumechanismus von Actiniden und Lanthaniden in Calcium-haltige Sekundärphasen” (in German).
  • 2006 – 2009:
    PhD student at the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal.
  • 2006:
    Diplom (M.Sc.) in Chemistry at the University of Heidelberg

Research experience

  • Actinide chemistry
  • Geochemistry of the actinides in the context of nuclear waste storage
  • Mineral/water interface reactions
  • Structural incorporation of actinides into mineral phases
  • Site-selective time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy with Cm(III) and Eu(III)
  • Surface X-ray diffraction

Newest Publication in the Department

A Co(II)-Hydroxide Complex That Converts Directly to a Co(II)-Acetamide during Catalytic Nitrile Hydration

Heim, P.; Biswas, S.; Lopez, H.; Gericke, R.; Twamley, B.; McDonald, A. R.

In exploring structural and functional mimics of nitrile hydratases, we report the synthesis of the pseudo-trigonal bipyramidal Co(II) complexes (K)[Co(II)(DMF)(LPh)] (1(DMF)), (NMe₄)₂[Co(II)(OAc)(LPh)] (1(OAc)), and (NMe₄)₂[Co(II)(OH)(LPh)] (1(OH)) (LPh = 2,2′,2’’-nitrilo-tris-(N-phenylacetamide; DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide; −OAc = acetate)). The complexes were characterized using NMR, FT-IR, ESI-MS, electronic absorption spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography, showing the LPh ligand to bind in a tetradentate tripodal fashion alongside the respective ancillary donor. One of the complexes, 1(OH), is an unusual structural and functional mimic of the Co active site in Co nitrile hydratases. 1(OH) reacted with acetonitrile to yield the Co(II)-acetamide complex (NMe₄)₂[Co(II)(NHC(O)CH₃)(LPh)], 2, which was also thoroughly characterized. In the presence of excess hydroxide, 1(OH) was found to catalyze quantitative conversion of the added hydroxide into acetamide. Despite the differences in Co oxidation state in nitrile hydratases and 1(OH) (Co(III) versus Co(II), respectively), 1(OH) was nonetheless an effective nitrile hydration catalyst, selectively producing acetamide over multiple turnovers.

Keywords: Anions; Hydration; Ions; Ligands; Nitrogen compounds

Grants and Projects

  • Bioinspired polyhydroxamic sequestering agents for the in vivo decorporation of actinides
    (ActiDecorp, ANR/DFG, 04/2024-03/2027)
  • Actinide-metal-bonding at the atomic level
    (Am-BALL, BMUV, 05/2023-04/2026)
  • Investigation of the interactions of f-elements with biologically-relevant structural motives: Determination of structure-effect principles for a mobilization in the environment
    (FENABIUM-II, BMBF, 04/2023-03/2026)
  • Competition and Reversibility of sorption processes
    (KuRSiV, BMUV, 01/2023-06/2026)
  • Spectroscopic characterization of f-Element complexes with soft donor ligands
    (f-Char, BMBF, 10/2020 - 03/2024)
  • Structure effect relations between f-elements and organic ligands with natural-analogue binding modes in regards to a possible mobilization in the environment
    (FENABIUM, BMBF, 10/2016 – 05/2021)
  • Smart-Kd applications for the long term safety assessment of nuclear waste disposal sites
    (SMILE, BMWi, 09/2018 – 02/2022)
  • Helmholtz Young Investigator Group “Structures and reactivity at the aqueous/mineral interface”
    (VH-NG-942, Helmholtz Association, 10/2013 - 09/2018)