The Chemistry Of The Actinides

The Chemistry of the Actinide and Transactinide Elements is a contemporary and definitive compilation of chemical properties of all of the actinide elements, especially of the technologically important elements uranium and plutonium, as well as the transactinide elements. In addition to the comprehensive treatment of the chemical properties of each element, ion, and compound from atomic number 89 (actinium) through to 109 (meitnerium), this multi-volume work has specialized and definitive chapters on electronic theory, optical and laser fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, organoactinide chemistry, thermodynamics, magnetic properties, the metals, coordination chemistry, separations, and trace analysis. Several chapters deal with environmental science, safe handling, and biological interactions of the actinide elements. The Editors invited teams of authors, who are active practitioners and recognized experts in their specialty, to write each chapter and have endeavoured to provide a balanced and insightful treatment of these fascinating elements at the frontier of the periodic table. Because the field has expanded with new spectroscopic techniques and environmental focus, the work encompasses five volumes, each of which groups chapters on related topics. All chapters represent the current state of research in the chemistry of these elements and related fields.

The Chemistry of the Actinides contains selected chapters from the Comprehensive Inorganic Chemistry to meet the needs of certain specialists in this field. The book describes the 14 elements after actinium in the Periodic Table, known as the actinide elements or the 5f transition series. The book notes the occurrence, separation, chemical properties, chemical structures, and preparation of the metals. In a discussion of analytical chemistry, the radioactive properties of the actinides and the lanthanides are compared. The text then describes the nuclear or radiochemical records and chemical properties of the different members of the actinide series such as thorium, uranium, plutonium, and einsteinium. The book also explains the differences between the 5f shell and the 4f shell. One paper then discusses the groups of alloy compounds, including rare earths and intra-actinides. Another paper examines the general properties of actinide ions as to their electronic structure and oxidation states; the stability and preparation of the different oxidation states; and the applicability of solvent extraction in separating and purifying various substances. The text is suitable for researchers in organic chemistry, nuclear and atomic physicists, scientists, and academicians whose work involves radioactive materials.

This series reflects the pivotal role of modern inorganic and physical chemistry in a range of emerging areas and in this text, the main features of the Lanthanides, Actinides and the Transactinide elements are described, enabling clear comparison and contrast with the Transition elements and Main Group metals.

The fourth edition of "The Chemistry of the Actinide and Transactinide Elements" comprises all chapters in volumes 1 through 5 of the third edition (published in 2006) plus a new volume 6. To remain consistent with the plan of the first edition, “ ... to provide a comprehensive and uniform treatment of the chemistry of the actinide [and transactinide] elements for both the nuclear technologist and the inorganic and physical chemist,” and to be consistent with the maturity of the field, the fourth edition is organized in three parts. The first group of chapters follows the format of the first and second editions with chapters on individual elements or groups of elements that describe and interpret their chemical properties. A chapter on the chemical properties of the transactinide elements follows. The second group, chapters 15-26, summarizes and correlates physical and chemical properties that are in general unique to the actinide elements, because most of these elements contain partially-filled shells of 5f electrons whether present as isolated atoms or ions, as metals, as compounds, or as ions in solution. The third group, chapters 27-39, focuses on specialized topics that encompass contemporary fields related to actinides in the environment, in the human body, and in storage or wastes. Two appendices at the end of volume 5 tabulate important nuclear properties of all actinide and transactinide isotopes. Volume 6 (Chapters 32 through 39) consists of new chapters that focus on actinide species in the environment, actinide waste forms, nuclear fuels, analytical chemistry of plutonium, actinide chalcogenide and hydrothermal synthesis of actinide compounds. The subject and author indices and list of contributors encompass all six volumes.

The first edition of this work appeared almost thirty years ago, when, as we can see in retrospect, the study of the actinide elements was in its first bloom. Although the broad features of the chemistry of the actinide elements were by then quite well delineated, the treatment of the subject in the first edition was of necessity largely descriptive in nature. A detailed understanding of the chemical consequences of the characteristic presence of Sf electrons in most of the members of the actinide series was still for the future, and many of the systematic features of the actinide elements were only dimly apprehended. In the past thirty years all this has changed. The application of new spectroscopic techniques, which came into general use during this period, and new theoretical insights, which came from a better understanding of chemical bonding, inorganic chemistry, and solid state phenomena, were among the important factors that led to a great expansion and maturation in actinide element research and a large number of new and important findings. The first edition consisted of a serial description of the individual actinide elements, with a single chapter devoted to the six heaviest elements (lawrencium, the heaviest actinide, was yet to be discovered). Less than 15 % of the text was devoted to a consideration of the systematics of the actinide elements.

Structural Chemistry of Inorganic Actinide Compounds is a collection of 13 reviews on structural and coordination chemistry of actinide compounds. Within the last decade, these compounds have attracted considerable attention because of their importance for radioactive waste management, catalysis, ion-exchange and absorption applications, etc. Synthetic and natural actinide compounds are also of great environmental concern as they form as a result of alteration of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste under Earth surface conditions, during burn-up of nuclear fuel in reactors, represent oxidation products of uranium miles and mine tailings, etc. The actinide compounds are also of considerable interest to material scientists due to the unique electronic properties of actinides that give rise to interesting physical properties controlled by the structural architecture of respective compounds. The book provides both general overview and review of recent developments in the field, including such emergent topics as nanomaterials and nanoparticles and their relevance to the transfer of actinides under environmental conditions. * Covers over 2,000 actinide compounds including materials, minerals and coordination polymers * Summarizes recent achievements in the field * Some chapters reveal (secret) advances made by the Soviet Union during the 'Cold war'

This book has been designed to cover the syllabus of Inorganic Chemistry required for the B.Sc./B.Sc. Hons./M.Sc. students of the various Universities. I have compelled all the questions asked so far in different universities as well as C.C.S. University Meerut. I have arranged the subject matter in a continuous manner. Special emphasis has been laid on fundamental concept of the topics. Care has been taken to make the treatment of the subject simple and accessible to the average students. The gradation of the solved and unsolved questions has been facilitated from simple to difficult. It is believed that the book in the present form will be found to be useful by the student community and the teaching fraternity alike. Contents: Lanthanides (4f-Block Series), Fuels and Furnaces, Precipitation from Homogeneous Medium, Actinides (5F-Block Elements).