TARTRATE COMPLEXES OF THE RARE-EARTH ELEMENTS: I. THE d-, dl-, AND meso-TARTRATE COMPLEXES OF Tb AND Eu
Solvent extraction and radiotracer techniques have been applied to the study of metal – tartrate ion association in water at 25 °C. Trace concentrations of the radioisotopes Tb160 and Eu152/154 were equilibrated between aqueous sodium tartrate solutions and organic phases of thenoyltrifluoroacetone in toluene. The ionic strength (0.0597) and the pH (4.53) of the aqueous phase were kept constant by means of sodium perchlorate and sodium acetate.Metal complexing with the d-, dl-, and meso isomers of the ligand was examined. For all isomers two complex species were identified with metal:ligand ratios of 1:1 and 1:2, and stability constants for both stages of ion association have been estimated. No third (1:3) complex was detected.Metal coordination numbers and the formation of tartrate–tartrate hydrogen bridges in the 1:2 complex are discussed.