Experimental evidence for a variable first coordination shell of the cadmium(II) ion in aqueous, dimethyl sulfoxide, and N,N′-dimethylpropyleneurea solution

A combined extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and large angle X-ray scattering (LAXS) investigation has been performed to evaluate the coordination structure of the cadmium(II) ion in aqueous, dimethyl sulfoxide, and N,N'-dimethylpropyleneurea (dmpu) solutions. This approach has singled out the existence of a flexible coordination shell around the cadmium(II) ion in aqueous and dimethyl sulfoxide solutions, whereas a regular octahedral complex is detected in dmpu. The EXAFS and LAXS techniques provide different values of the Cd-O first shell distance (2.27(1) angstrom and 2.302(5) angstrom, respectively) for the hydrated and dimethyl sulfoxide solvated complexes, and this discrepancy is originated by the simultaneous presence of hexa- and heptacoordinated complexes in solution, giving rise to a broad distribution of distances around the ion. These findings demonstrate that, in solution, the cadmium(II) ion forms quite flexible hydration and dimethyl sulfoxide solvate complexes undergoing a solvent exchange with unusually stable seven-coordinated intermediate complexes, and therefore the mean ion-solvent distance is longer in solution than in the solid state. In the dmpu solution, due to the bulkiness of the solvent molecules, the octahedral cadmium(II) solvate is extremely crowded and it is not possible for a seventh ligand to enter the inner-coordination shell. This investigation shows that the combined analysis of the EXAFS and LAXS data allows a reliable determination of the structural properties of electrolyte solutions, also in the presence of flexible coordination shell with a variable number of coordinating molecules.