Version 2 2024-10-16, 12:10Version 2 2024-10-16, 12:10
Version 1 2024-10-08, 05:44Version 1 2024-10-08, 05:44
journal contribution
posted on 2024-10-16, 12:10authored byAppie Peterson, Joseph A. Adewuyi, Joshua J. Woods, Jennifer Wacker, Wayne
W. Lukens, Rebecca J. Abergel, Gaël Ung
Curium’s stable redox chemistry and ability to
emit strong
metal-based luminescence make it uniquely suitable for spectroscopic
studies among the actinide series. Targeted ligand and coordination
compound design can support both fundamental electronic structure
studies and industrial safeguards with the identification of unique
spectroscopic signatures. However, limited availability, inherent
radioactive hazards, and arduous purifications have long inhibited
such investigations of this element. A consolidated reprocessing procedure
for curium has been developed for the milligram scale. The recovery
of not only standard legacy curium samples but also hazardous legacy
perchlorate containing curium samples was achieved, culminating in
column chromatography utilizing the extraction resin DGA (N,N,N′,N′-tetra-2-ethylhexyldiglycolamide, branched). Surprisingly,
controlled elution of the Cm band from the extraction resin was followed
through bright pink luminescence triggered by an inexpensive hand-held
UV–vis lamp (380–400 nm). This observation inspired
the design of an enantiopure, C2-symmetrical
ligand bearing a chiral (trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane)
backbone with achiral DGA moieties (N,N,N′,N′-tetra-n-octylacetamide), that enabled rarely observed curium circularly
polarized luminescence upon metal chelation. These combined achievements
should unlock more luminescence and circularly polarized luminescence
studies of curium, and enable the recovery of many curium and other
trivalent actinide samples.