Frank Bok

In situ spectroscopic identification of neptunium(V) inner-sphere complexes on the hematite-water interface.

Hematite plays a decisive role in regulating the mobility of contaminants in rocks and soils. The Np(V) reactions at the hematite-water interface were comprehensively investigated by a combined approach of in situ vibrational spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy and surface complexation modeling. A variety of sorption parameters such as Np(V) concentration, pH, ionic strength, and the presence of bicarbonate was considered. Time-resolved IR spectroscopic sorption experiments at the iron oxide-water interface evidenced the formation of a single monomer Np(V) inner-sphere sorption complex. EXAFS provided complementary information on bidentate edge-sharing coordination. In the presence of atmospherically derived bicarbonate the formation of the bis-carbonato inner-sphere complex was confirmed supporting previous EXAFS findings.1 The obtained molecular structure allows more reliable surface complexation modeling of recent and future macroscopic data. Such confident modeling is mandatory for evaluating water contamination and for predicting the fate and migration of radioactive contaminants in the subsurface environment as it might occur in the vicinity of a radioactive waste repository or a reprocessing plant.

A spectroscopic study on U(VI) biomineralization in cultivated Pseudomonas fluorescens biofilms isolated from granitic aquifers.

The interaction between the Pseudomonas fluorescens biofilm and U(VI) were studied using extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS), and time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS). In EXAFS studies, the formation of a stable uranyl phosphate mineral, similar to autunite (Ca[UO2]2[PO4]2•2–6H2O) or meta-autunite (Ca[UO2]2[PO4]2•10–12H2O) was observed. This is the first time such a biomineralization process has been observed in P. fluorescens. Biomineralization occurs due to phosphate release from the cellular polyphosphate, likely as a cell’s response to the added uranium. It differs significantly from the biosorption process occurring in the planktonic cells of the same strain. TRLFS studies of the uranium-contaminated nutrient medium identified aqueous Ca2UO2(CO3)3 and UO2(CO3)34− species, which in contrast to the biomineralization in the P. fluorescens biofilm, may contribute to the transport and migration of U(VI). The obtained results reveal that biofilms of P. fluorescens may play an important role in predicting the transport behavior of uranium in the environment. They will also contribute to the improvement of remediation methods in uranium-contaminated sites.

New iron(III) nitrate hydrates: Fe(NO3)3·xH2O with x = 4, 5 and 6

Crystals of the title compounds were grown from their hydrous melts or solutions. The crystal structure of iron(III) trinitrate hexahydrate {hexaaquairon(III) trinitrate, [Fe(H(2)O)(6)](NO(3))(3)} is built up from [Fe(H(2)O)(6)](2+) octahedra and nitrate anions connected via hydrogen bonds. In iron(III) trinitrate pentahydrate {pentaaquanitratoiron(III) dinitrate, [Fe(NO(3))(H(2)O)(5)](NO(3))(2)}, one water molecule in the coordination octahedron of the Fe(III) atom is substituted by an O atom of a nitrate group. Iron(III) trinitrate tetrahydrate {triaquadinitratoiron(III) nitrate monohydrate, [Fe(NO(3))(2)(H(2)O)(3)]NO(3)·H(2)O} represents the first example of a simple iron(III) nitrate with pentagonal-bipyramidal coordination geometry, where two bidentate nitrate anions and one water molecule form a pentagonal plane.

Speciation Studies of Metals in Trace Concentrations: The Mononuclear Uranyl(VI) Hydroxo Complexes

A direct luminescence spectroscopic experimental setup for the determination of complex stability constants of mononuclear uranyl(VI) hydrolysis species is presented. The occurrence of polynuclear species is prevented by using a low uranyl(VI) concentration of 10–8 M (2.4 ppb). Time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectra were recorded in the pH range from 3 to 10.5. Deconvolution with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) resulted in three hydrolysis complexes. A tentative assignment was based on thermodynamic calculations: UO22+, UO2(OH)+, UO2(OH)2, UO2(OH)3–. An implementation of a Newton–Raphson algorithm into PARAFAC allowed a direct extraction of complex stability constants during deconvolution yielding log(β1M,1°C)1:1 = −4.6, log(β1M,1°C)1:2 = −12.2, log(β1M,1°C)1:3 = −22.3. Extrapolation to standard conditions gave log(β0)1:1 = −3.9, log(β0)1:2 = −10.9, and log(β0)1:3 = −20.7. Luminescence characteristics (band position, lifetime) of the individual mononuclear hydroxo species were derived to serve as a reference data set for further investigations. A correlation of luminescence spectroscopic features with Raman frequencies was demonstrated for the mononuclear uranyl(VI) hydroxo complexes for the first time. Thereby a signal-to-structure correlation was achieved and the complex assignment validated.

Interaction of Eu(III) with mammalian cells: Cytotoxicity, uptake, and speciation as a function of Eu(III) concentration and nutrient composition.

In case of the release of lanthanides and actinides into the environment, knowledge about their behavior in biological systems is necessary to assess and prevent adverse health effects for humans. We investigated the interaction of europium with FaDu cells (human squamous cell carcinoma cell line) combining analytical methods, spectroscopy, and thermodynamic modeling with in-vitro cell experiments under defined conditions. Both the cytotoxicity of Eu(III) onto FaDu cells and its cellular uptake are mainly concentration-dependent. Moreover, they are governed by its chemical speciation in the nutrient medium. In complete cell culture medium, i.e., in the presence of fetal bovine serum, Eu(III) is stabilized in solution in a wide concentration range by complexation with serum proteins resulting in low cytotoxicity and cellular Eu(III) uptake. In serum-free medium, Eu(III) precipitates as hardly soluble phosphate species, exhibiting a significantly higher cytotoxicity and slightly higher cellular uptake. The presence of a tenfold excess of citrate in serum-free medium causes the formation of Eu(HCit)2(3-) complexes in addition to the dominating Eu(III) phosphate species, resulting in a decreased Eu(III) cytotoxicity and cellular uptake. The results of this study underline the crucial role of a metal ions speciation for its toxicity and bioavailability.