Ionothermal synthesis of uranyl compounds that incorporate imidazole derivatives

Ionothermal reactions of uranyl nitrate with various salts in methylimidazolium-based ionic liquids have produced single crystals of three uranyl compounds that incorporate imidazole derivatives as charge-balancing cations. (C4H7N2)[(UO2)(PO3F)(F)] (1) crystallizes in space group C2, a=17.952(1) Å, b=6.9646(6) Å, c=8.5062(7) Å, β=112.301(1)°, (C6H11N2)2[(UO2)(SO4)2] (2) crystallizes in space group C2/c, a=31.90(1) Å, b=9.383(5) Å, c=13.770(7) Å, β=93.999(7)° and (C6H11N2)[(UO2)2(PO4)(HPO4) (3) crystallizes in space group P21/n, a=9.307(2), b=18.067(4), c=9.765(2), β=93.171(2). The U6+ cations are present as (UO2)2+ uranyl ions coordinated by three O atoms and two F atoms in 1 and five O atoms in 2 and 3 to give pentagonal bipyramids. The structural unit in 1 is composed of F-sharing dimers of uranyl pentagonal bipyramids linked into sheets through corner-sharing fluorophosphate tetrahedra. The structural unit in 2 is composed of uranyl pentagonal bipyramids with one chelating sulfate tetrahedron linked into chains by three other corner-sharing sulfate tetrahedra. In 3, the structural unit is composed of chains of uranyl pentagonal bipyramids linked into sheets through edge- and corner-sharing phosphate and hydrogen phosphate tetrahedra. N-methylimidazolium cations occupy the interstitial space between the uranyl fluorophosphate sheets in 1, whereas 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium cations link the uranyl sulfate and phosphate units in 2 and 3 into extended structures.

The synthesis of uranyl compounds by ionothermal treatment is explored, and provides three novel compounds and insights concerning the role of water in controlling the structural units.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights
► Ionothermal syntheses have produced three new uranyl compounds.
► Imidazole derivatives are incorporated as charge-balancing agents.
► X-ray and spectroscopic analyses reveal variability between imidazole derivatives.
► This method offers synthetic insight in the absence of water at low temperatures.