JRP 05-15

Partners

UNIMAN

CEA

FZD

Contact

Dr. I. May
Victoria University of Manchester - Centre for Radiochemistry Research - School of Chemistry Oxford Road - M13 9PL Manchester - United Kingdom
Phone + 44 (0) 161 275 46 57
Fax + 44 (0) 161 275 46 16
E-mail e-mail

Understanding the electronic structure of actinyl complexes (part II)

Status

 
Terminated - Planned from October 2006 till October 2007

Goals

The aim of this joint research project is to continue the research of JRP 02-01, concerning bonding in transuranium actinyl complexes (Np and Pu). It involves accessing additional ligand systems, that are only stable in moisture and oxygen free solvent systems.

In particular, the investigations of neptunyl - and especially plutonyl - coordination chemistry under inert atmosphere will be continued, whereas neptunyl and plutonyl samples will be prepared for XAS measurements.

Expected results

Extending the present knowledge beyond f0' uranyl systems is important for more than purely academic reasons:

  • {NpO2}+ is the most stable chemical form of Np and will dominate the environmental speciation of the long lived 237Np isotope;
  • evidence suggests that the usually unstable {PuO2}+ moiety is the dominant Pu species in tracer concentrations of relevance to environmental release;
  • {NpO2}2+, {PuO2}2+ and {AmO2}2+ are relevant to the current and future technologies for the processing of spent nuclear fuel.

Therefore, a greater understanding of neptunyl, plutonyl and americyl bonding and reactivity will underpin future applied nuclear research programmes.

Reports