EXAFS studies of americium(III)-benzimidazole complex in ethanol

The local structures of Am, Nd and Er-Benzimidazole (Biz) in solution were determined by EXAFS. The BIZ molecule coordinated to Am and Nd through two nitrogen atoms in a bidentate fashion. Two nitrogen atoms of BIZ ligated to Am and Nd with the bond distances R_Am-N = 2.63 Å and R_Nd-N = 2.65 Å, respectively. The total coordination number of the Am BIZ complexes (at a molar ratio of metal ion to ligand of 1:20) was ~10 but that of Nd BIZ complex was ~9.