title: Characterization of berkelium(III) dipicolinate and borate compounds in solution and the solid state.
abstract: Berkelium is positioned at a crucial location in the actinide series between the inherently stable half-filled 5f(7) configuration of curium and the abrupt transition in chemical behavior created by the onset of a metastable divalent state that starts at californium. However, the mere 320-day half-life of berkelium's only available isotope, (249)Bk, has hindered in-depth studies of the element's coordination chemistry. Herein, we report the synthesis and detailed solid-state and solution-phase characterization of a berkelium coordination complex, Bk(III)tris(dipicolinate), as well as a chemically distinct Bk(III) borate material for comparison. We demonstrate that berkelium's complexation is analogous to that of californium. However, from a range of spectroscopic techniques and quantum mechanical calculations, it is clear that spin-orbit coupling contributes significantly to berkelium's multiconfigurational ground state.
authors: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
authors: Mark A
authors: MA
authors: Silver
authors: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
authors: Samantha K
authors: SK
authors: Cary
authors: Environmental Health and Safety, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
authors: Jason A
authors: JA
authors: Johnson
authors: National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA.
authors: Ryan E
authors: RE
authors: Baumbach
authors: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
authors: Alexandra A
authors: AA
authors: Arico
authors: Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry and Department of Nuclear Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA.
authors: Morgan
authors: M
authors: Luckey
authors: Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry and Department of Nuclear Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA.
authors: Matthew
authors: M
authors: Urban
authors: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
authors: Jamie C
authors: JC
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Bloomsburg, PA 17815, USA.
authors: Matthew J
authors: MJ
authors: Polinski
authors: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Chemey
authors: Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
authors: Guokui
authors: G
authors: Liu
authors: National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA.
authors: Kuan-Wen
authors: KW
authors: Chen
authors: Nuclear Materials Processing Group, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, One Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA.
authors: Shelley M
authors: SM
authors: Van Cleve
authors: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
authors: Matthew L
authors: ML
authors: Marsh
authors: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
authors: Teresa M
authors: TM
authors: Eaton
authors: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
authors: Lambertus J
authors: LJ
authors: van de Burgt
authors: Environmental Health and Safety, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
authors: Ashley L
authors: AL
authors: Gray
authors: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
authors: David E
authors: DE
authors: Hobart
authors: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
authors: Kenneth
authors: K
authors: Hanson
authors: Laboratorie de Physique et Chimie des Nano-objets, Institut National des Sciences Appliquées, 31077 Toulouse Cedex 4, France.
authors: Laurent
authors: L
authors: Maron
authors: Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA.
authors: Frédéric
authors: F
authors: Gendron
authors: Department of Chemistry, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA.
authors: Jochen
authors: J
authors: Autschbach
authors: Institut für Anorganische Chemie, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule, Aachen University, D-52074 Aachen, Germany.
authors: Manfred
authors: M
authors: Speldrich
authors: Institut für Anorganische Chemie, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule, Aachen University, D-52074 Aachen, Germany.
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Kögerler
authors: Theory Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA.
authors: Ping
authors: P
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry and Department of Nuclear Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401, USA. jbraley@mines.edu albrecht-schmitt@chem.fsu.edu.
authors: Jenifer
authors: J
authors: Braley
authors: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA. jbraley@mines.edu albrecht-schmitt@chem.fsu.edu.
authors: Thomas E
authors: TE
authors: Albrecht-Schmitt