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Insight into the Structural and Emissive Behavior of a Three-Dimensional Americium(III) Formate Coordination Polymer
Aaron D Nicholas1, Ana Arteaga1, Lucas C Ducati2
1Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Boulevard, Richland, WA, 99354, USA.
Abstract:
We report the structural, vibrational, and optical properties of americium formate (Am(CHO2 )3 ) crystals synthesized via the in situ hydrolysis of dimethylformamide (DMF). The coordination polymer features Am3+ ions linked by formate ligands into a three-dimensional network that is isomorphous to several lanthanide analogs, (e. g., Eu3+ , Nd3+ , Tb3+ ). Structure determination revealed a nine-coordinate Am3+ metal center that features a unique local C3v symmetry. The metal-ligand bonding interactions were investigated by vibrational spectroscopy, natural localized molecular orbital calculations, and the quantum theory of atoms in molecules. The results paint a predominantly ionic bond picture and suggest the metal-oxygen bonds increase in strength from Nd-O
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