A new method for quantifying Cu in nuclear debris samples.

Quantifying Cu in post-detonation nuclear debris samples can provide important diagnostic information regarding the structural materials used within a nuclear device. However, this task is challenging due to the weak gamma emissions associated with the decay of Cu, its short half-life (12.701 h), and the presence of interfering fission product radioisotopes.

Chemical separation and measurement of platinum activation products.

A method has been developed to purify and measure platinum radioisotopes in the presence of fission products and environmental constituents. The method uses a combination of cation exchange and anion exchange chromatography and selective precipitation steps to remove other radioisotopes from the sample. The addition of stable platinum carrier allows for a gravimetric determination of the chemical yield of the procedure.

Compression of curium pyrrolidine-dithiocarbamate enhances covalency.

Curium is unique in the actinide series because its half-filled 5f  shell has lower energy than other 5f  configurations, rendering it both redox-inactive and resistant to forming chemical bonds that engage the 5f shell. This is even more pronounced in gadolinium, curium's lanthanide analogue, owing to the contraction of the 4f orbitals with respect to the 5f orbitals. However, at high pressures metallic curium undergoes a transition from localized to itinerant 5f electrons.

Examination of Structure and Bonding in 10-Coordinate Europium and Americium Terpyridyl Complexes.

M(TpyNO)(NO)(HO)·THF (M = La, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Am; TpyNO = 4'-nitrophenyl terpyridyl) have been prepared from the reaction of M(NO)· nHO with TpyNO in THF. Structural analysis shows that the metal centers are 10-coordinate, providing the first example of Am with this coordination number. Further spectroscopic and theoretical evaluation of these complexes reveals utilization of the 5f orbitals in bonding in the Am complex.