title: Photochemical water oxidation and origin of nonaqueous uranyl peroxide complexes.
abstract: Sunlight photolysis of uranyl nitrate and uranyl acetate solutions in pyridine produces uranyl peroxide complexes. To answer longstanding questions about the origin of these complexes, we conducted a series of mechanistic studies and demonstrate that these complexes arise from photochemical oxidation of water. The peroxo ligands are easily removed by protonolysis, allowing regeneration of the initial uranyl complexes for potential use in catalysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences and ‡Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States.
authors.forename: Brendan T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: McGrail
authors.forename: Laura S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Pianowski
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Burns
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D056831:Coordination Complexes / Q000737:chemistry*; D008024:Ligands; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009566:Nitrates / Q000737:chemistry; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010545:Peroxides / Q000737:chemistry*; D010782:Photolysis; D013472:Sunlight; D014501:Uranium / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D056831:Coordination Complexes; D008024:Ligands; D009566:Nitrates; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D010545:Peroxides; D014867:Water; C005460:uranyl acetate; D014501:Uranium