Synthesis of coordination polymers of tetravalent actinides (U and Np) with phthalate or mellitate ligand in aqueous medium

Four coordination polymers bearing uranium or neptunium have been hydrothermally synthesized at 130°C, from a tetravalent actinide chloride (AnCl4) source in association with phthalic (noted 1,2-H2bdc hereafter) or mellitic (noted H6mel hereafter) acid in aqueous mediua. With the phthalate ligand, two analogous assemblies ([An2O2(H2O)2(1,2-bdc)2]·H2O ; An = U4+ (1) or Np4+ (2)) have been isolated and are built up from the connection of square anti-prismatic polyhedra (AnO8) linked to each other via μ3-oxo groups (edge-sharing mode) in order to construct infinite zig-zag ribbons. The phthalate molecules connect adjacent chains to each other to generate a 2D network. Water molecules are bonded to the actinide center or found intercalated between the layers. With the mellitate ligand, two distinct structures have been identified. The uranium-based compound (U2(OH)2(H2O)2(mel) (3)) exhibits a 3D structure composed of dinuclear units of UO8 polyhedra (square anti-prism) linked via common edge (μ2-hydroxo). The 3D framework consists of the connection of the mellitate linker with the dinuclear brick with its six carboxylate arms. The structure of the neptunium mellitate ([(NpO2)10(H2O)14(Hmel)2]·12H2O (4)) reveals the oxidation of the initial Np(IV) toward Np(V) in our synthetic hydrothermal conditions, and this generates typical neptunyl entities with pentagonal bipyramidal environment (NpO7 unit). The resulting network is a layered assembly, composed of sheets of NpO7 linked in a square net, with cation-cation interactions between neptunyl bond (Np=O) and Np-O bonds from the pentagonal plane. The cohesion of the 3D structure is ensured by the mellitate molecules acting as bridging linkers between the NpO7 sub-network. For the mellitate, only four carboxylate groups are engaged with the connection of the NpO7-based layer.