This study of aqueous metal speciation is an advanced combination of theoretical and experimental methods. Continuous wave (CW) and time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) data of uranyl(VI) hydrolysis were analyzed using parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC). Distribution patterns of five major species were thereby derived under a fixed uranyl concentration (10⁻⁵ M) over a wide pH range from 2 to 11. UV (180 nm to 370 nm) excitation spectra were extracted for individual species. Time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations revealed ligand excitation (water, hydroxo, oxo) in this region and ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) responsible for luminescence. Thus excitation in the UV region is extreme ligand sensitive and specific. Combining findings from PARAFAC and DFT the [UO₂(H₂O)₅]²⁺ cation (aquo complex 1 : 0) and four hydroxo complexes (1 : 1, 3 : 5, 3 : 7 and 1 : 3) were identified. The methodological concept used here is applicable to luminescent metals in general and thus enables acquisition of refined structural and thermodynamical data of lanthanide and actinide complexation.

Citrate complexes are the dominant binding form of trivalent actinides and lanthanides in human urine at pH < 6. Hence, an accurate prediction of the speciation of these elements in the presence of citrate is crucial for the understanding of their impact on the metabolism of the human organism and the corresponding health risks. We studied the complexation of Cm(III) and Eu(III), as representatives of trivalent actinides and lanthanides, respectively, in aqueous citrate solution over a wide pH range using time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. Four distinct citrate complexes were identified and their stability constants were determined, which are MHCit⁰, M(HCitH)HCit²⁻, M(HCit)₂ ³⁻, and M(Cit)₂ ⁵⁻ (M = Cm, Eu). Additionally, there were also indications for the formation of MCit⁻ complexes. Structural details on the EuHCit⁰ and EuCit⁻ complexes were obtained with FT-IR spectroscopy in combination with density functional theory calculations. IR spectroscopic evidence for the deprotonation of the hydroxyl group of the citrate ion in the EuCit⁻ complex is presented, which also revealed that the complexation of the Eu³⁺ ion takes place not only through the carboxylate groups, like in EuHCit⁰, but additionally via the hydroxylate group. In both EuHCit⁰ and EuCit⁻ the carboxylate binding mode is mono-dentate. Under a very low metal : citrate ratio that is typical for human body fluids, the Cm(III) and Eu(III) speciation was found to be strongly pH-dependent. The Cm(III) and Eu(III) citrate complexes dominant in human urine at pH < 6 were identified to be Cm(HCitH)HCit²⁻ and a mixture of Eu(HCitH)HCit²⁻ and EuHCit⁰. The results specify our previous in vitro study using natural human urine samples (Heller et al., Chem. Res. Toxicol., 2011, 24, 193–203).