Complexation of curium(III) by adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP): A time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) study

The complex formation of curium(III) with adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) was determined by time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS). The interaction between soluble species of curium(III) with ATP was studied at trace Cm(III) concentrations (3 × 10−7 M). The concentrations of ATP were varied between 6.0 × 10−7 and 1.5 × 10−4 M in the pH range of 1.5–7.0 using 0.154 M NaCl as background electrolyte.Three Cm–ATP species, MpHqLr, could be identified from the fluorescence emission spectra: (i) CmH2ATP+ with a peak maximum at 598.6 nm, (ii) CmHATP with a peak maximum at 600.3 nm, and (iii) CmATP− with a peak maximum at 601.0 nm. The formation constants of these complexes were calculated from TRLFS measurements to be log β121 = 16.86 ± 0.09, log β111 = 13.23 ± 0.10, and log β101 = 8.19 ± 0.16. The hydrated Cm–ATP species showed fluorescence lifetimes between 88 and 96 μs; whereas the CmATP− complex has a significantly longer fluorescence lifetime of 187 ± 7 μs.

Graphical abstractThis study shows that TRLFS in combination with the factor analysis software specfit is a powerful tool to investigate the speciation of Cm(III) at trace concentrations in the aqueous ATP system. Three different Cm–ATP species, CmH2ATP+, CmHATP, and CmATP−, could be identified by their individual fluorescence emission spectra and the formation constant of each species was determined.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide