Structural properties of ultra-small thorium and uranium dioxide nanoparticles embedded in a covalent organic framework.

We report the structural properties of ultra-small ThO and UO nanoparticles (NPs), which were synthesized without strong binding surface ligands by employing a covalent organic framework (COF-5) as an inert template. The resultant NPs were used to observe how structural properties are affected by decreasing grain size within bulk actinide oxides, which has implications for understanding the behavior of nuclear fuel materials. Through a comprehensive characterization strategy, we gain insight regarding how structure at the NP surface differs from the interior.

A Macrocyclic Chelator That Selectively Binds Ln over Ln by a Factor of 10.

A tetravalent cerium macrocyclic complex (CeLK) was prepared with an octadentate terephthalamide ligand comprised of hard catecholate donors and characterized in the solution state by spectrophotometric titrations and electrochemistry and in the crystal by X-ray diffraction. The solution-state studies showed that L exhibits a remarkably high affinity toward Ce, with log β = 61(2) and ΔG = -348 kJ/mol, compared with log β = 32.02(2) for the analogous Pr complex.

Effects of Titanium Doping in Titanomagnetite on Neptunium Sorption and Speciation.

Neptunium-237 is a radionuclide of great interest owing to its long half-life (2.14 × 10(6) years) and relative mobility as the neptunyl ion (NpO2(+)) under many surface and groundwater conditions. Reduction to tetravalent neptunium (Np(IV)) effectively immobilizes the actinide in many instances due to its low solubility and strong interactions with natural minerals.