Slow Magnetic Relaxation in a Californium Complex.

We report the synthesis and characterization of the macrocyclic californium derivative Na[Cf(HO)(DOTA)] (DOTA = 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetate), , which was studied in comparison to its dysprosium counterpart, Na[Dy(HO)(DOTA)], . Divergent spectroscopic and magnetic behaviors were observed between and . Based upon spectroscopic measurements, we propose that accessible 5f → 6d transitions (potentially operating in tandem with charge-transfer transitions) are the major contributors to the observed broadband photoluminescence in .

Consolidated Curium Reprocessing Procedure Inspires Molecular Design for Sensitized Curium Circularly Polarized Luminescence.

Curium's stable redox chemistry and ability to emit strong metal-based luminescence make it uniquely suitable for spectroscopic studies among the actinide series. Targeted ligand and coordination compound design can support both fundamental electronic structure studies and industrial safeguards with the identification of unique spectroscopic signatures. However, limited availability, inherent radioactive hazards, and arduous purifications have long inhibited such investigations of this element.

Improved Energy Transfer in the Sensitization of Americium Enables Observation of Circularly Polarized Luminescence.

The first example of circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) from a molecular americium (Am) complex is reported. Coordination of Am(III) by a combination of thenoyltrifluoroacetonate and a chiral diphosphine oxide ligand yielded a complex with strong sensitized metal-centered luminescence. The energy transfer process for sensitization appears to occur via a unique resonant pathway, which results in the removal of the overlap between ligand phosphorescence and sensitized Am luminescence that has often been observed.

Actinium chelation and crystallization in a macromolecular scaffold.

Targeted alpha therapy (TAT) pairs the specificity of antigen targeting with the lethality of alpha particles to eradicate cancerous cells. Actinium-225 [Ac; t = 9.920(3) days] is an alpha-emitting radioisotope driving the next generation of TAT radiopharmaceuticals.

Photocatalytic dechlorination of unactivated chlorocarbons including PVC using organolanthanide complexes.

Simple lanthanide cyclopentadienyl (Cp) complexes can photochemically cleave the sp carbon-chlorine bond of unactivated chlorinated hydrocarbons including polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The excited state lifetimes of these simple complexes are among the longest observed for cerium complexes (175 ns for [(Cp)Ce(μ-Cl)]) and the light absorption by the Cp ligand is efficient, so photocatalytic reactivity is enhanced for cerium and now also made possible for neighboring, normally photoinactive, lanthanide congeners.

Macrocyclic 1,2-Hydroxypyridinone-Based Chelators as Potential Ligands for Thorium-227 and Zirconium-89 Radiopharmaceuticals.

Thorium-227 (Th) is an α-emitting radionuclide that has shown preclinical and clinical promise for use in targeted α-therapy (TAT), a type of molecular radiopharmaceutical treatment that harnesses high energy α particles to eradicate cancerous lesions. Despite these initial successes, there still exists a need for bifunctional chelators that can stably bind thorium in vivo. Toward this goal, we have prepared two macrocyclic chelators bearing 1,2-hydroxypyridinone groups.

Defining Stereochemistry in the Polymerization of Lactide by Aluminum Catalysts: Insights into the Dual-Stereocontrol Mechanism.

Aspects of the proposed pathway combining chain-end and enantiomorphic site control for the stereospecific polymerization of lactide (LA) were investigated through studies of aluminum complexes supported by enantiopure and racemic bipyrrolidine-based salan ligands, LigAlOBn and LigAlOBn. Spectroscopic analysis of stoichiometric initiation reactions and the definition of the stereochemistry of the selective formation of the "match" single-insertion products by X-ray crystallography led to key conclusions about the observed stereocontrol. Notably, it was determined to rely heavily on the preference for the trio of stereocenters around the metal to have a "match" formation (-ligand + -polymer), which works synergistically with the enantiomorphic site preference of the catalyst to ring-open next to a stereocenter of a monomer of the same chirality as that of the ligand, resulting in highly heterotactic or syndiotactic PLA from - or -LA, respectively.