Expanding the Crystal Chemistry of Uranyl Peroxides:  Synthesis and Structures of Di- and Triperoxodioxouranium(VI) Complexes

Abstract

Four compounds containing tri- and diperoxodioxouranium(VI) complexes have been synthesized under ambient conditions and structurally characterized. The crystal structures of Na4(UO2)(O2)3(H2O)12 (monoclinic, P21/c, a=6.7883(6) A, b=16.001(2) A, c=16.562(2) A, beta=91.917(2) degrees, V=1797.9(3) A3, Z=4) and Ca2(UO2)(O2)3(H2O)9 (orthorhombic, Pbcn, a=9.576(3) A, b=12.172(3) A, c=12.314(2) A, V=1435.4(6) A3, Z=4) contain clusters of triperoxodioxouranium(VI). These clusters are bonded through a network of H bonding to H2O groups and in the Ca compound by bonds to Ca2+ cations. In the crystal structure of Na2Rb4(UO2)2(O2)5(H2O)14 (orthorhombic, Pbcm, a=6.808(2) A, b=16.888(6) A, c=23.286(8) A, V=2677.5(16) A3, Z=4), triperoxodioxouranium(VI) polyhedra share a peroxide edge, forming dimers of polyhedra of composition (UO2)2(O2)5(6-). Adjacent dimers are linked through bonding to Rb+ cations and by H bonds to H2O groups. The crystal structure of K6[(UO2)(O2)2(OH)]2(H2O)7 (orthorhombic, Pcca, a=15.078(8) A, b=6.669(4) A, c=23.526(13) A, V=2366(2) A3, Z=4) contains diperoxodioxouranium(VI) polyhedra that include two OH groups. These polyhedra share an OH-OH edge, forming dimers of composition (UO2)2(O2)4(OH)2(6-). The dimers are linked by bonds to K+ cations and by H bonding to H2O groups.