Photobehavior of aqueous uranyl ion and photo-oxygenation of isobutane using light from the visible region

Abstract

The photochemical and photophysical behavior of the aqueous uranyl ion [UO2(H2O)5]2+ has been studied under the influence of visible light and with added perchloric acid over the range of 0.01–4 M. In the presence of 2-methylpropane (isobutane), photo-oxygenation of isobutane occurs to yield, as the major product, 2-methyl-2-propanol (tert-butyl alcohol) along with lesser amounts of 2-methyl-2-propene (isobutene) and other C1–C8 products. The quantum yield for formation of tert-butyl alcohol is independent of light intensity at the irradiation wavelength of 415 nm and of uranyl concentration, but it increases from 0.016 ± 0.001 at 0.01 M HClO4 (pH 2) to 0.13 ± 0.01 at 4 M HClO4. The emission spectrum from the electronically excited uranyl ion and the associated quantum yields have been measured in the presence and absence of isobutane, as a function of added perchloric acid. While in both cases the shape of the spectrum remains invariant, the quantum yields increase with increasing perchloric acid concentration. The strong dependence on added perchloric acid is interpreted within the context of the presence and interconversion of two electronically excited species, an acid form, *[UO2(H2O)5]2+, and a base form, *[UO2(H2O)n(OH)]+. It is proposed that both forms react with isobutane to give a tert-butyl radical, and that oxidation of coordinated aqua ligands occur, the latter generating a hydroxyl radical whose reaction with isobutane rapidly leads also to a tert-butyl radical. The reaction of this alkyl radical with ground-state [UO2(H2O)5]2+ then gives rise to the stable tert-butyl alcohol product and reduced forms of uranyl ion. Based upon the values of the quantum yields and of excited-state lifetime measurements reported in the literature, a comprehensive mechanism has been developed in a quantitative manner to provide calculated values of the rate constants for the individual mechanistic steps. The calculated rate constants provide a basis to calculate the values of quantum yields for emission and chemical reaction, as well as for lifetimes, that agree very satisfactorily with the experimental values over a 400-fold concentration change in added perchloric acid.Key words: photo-oxidation, photo-oxygenation, uranyl ion, isobutane, tert-butyl alcohol, lifetime, quantum yield, acid–base dissociation.