Complexation of Manganese with Glutarimidedioxime: Implication for Extraction Uranium from Seawater.

The molecule of glutaroimidedioxime, a cyclic imidedioxime moiety that can form during the synthesis of the poly(amidoxime)sorbent and is reputedly responsible for the extraction of uranium from seawater. Complexation of manganese (II) with glutarimidedioxime in aqueous solutions was investigated with potentiometry, calorimetry, ESI-mass spectrometry, electrochemical measurements and quantum chemical calculations. Results show that complexation reactions of manganese with glutarimidedioxime are both enthalpy and entropy driven processes, implying that the sorption of manganese on the glutarimidedioxime-functionalized sorbent would be enhanced at higher temperatures. Complex formation of manganese with glutarimidedioxime can assist redox of Mn(II/III). There are about ~15% of equilibrium manganese complex with the ligand in seawater pH(8.3), indicating that manganese could compete to some degree with uranium for sorption sites.