Actinide elements oxides

The maximum oxidation number of any atom in any of its compounds is equal to its periodic group number, with a few exceptions. The coinage metals have the following maximum oxidation numbers Cu, +2 Ag, +2 and Au, +3. Some of the noble gases (group 0) have positive oxidation numbers. Some lanthanide and actinide element oxidation numbers exceed 3, their nominal group number. 

As stated in the opening section of this chapter, the objective is to discuss and compare the solid-state chemistry and physics of the lanthanide and actinide element oxides. The topics of discussion have been limited to binary oxides of these elements. Therefore, a discussion of the many complex (ternary, mixed, etc.) oxide systems for these f elements, and oxides of actinides representing oxidation states above four that do not have lanthanide counterparts, are not present. 

Experiments seem to show that the element possesses a moderately stable dipositive (11) oxidation state in addition to the tripositive (111) oxidation state, which is characteristic of the actinide elements. 

Special techniques for experimentation with the actinide elements other than Th and U have been devised because of the potential health ha2ard to the experimenter and the small amounts available (15). In addition, iavestigations are frequently carried out with the substance present ia very low coaceatratioa as a radioactive tracer. Such procedures coatiaue to be used to some exteat with the heaviest actinide elements, where only a few score atoms may be available they were used ia the earHest work for all the transuranium elements. Tracer studies offer a method for obtaining knowledge of oxidation states, formation of complex ions, and the solubiHty of various compounds. These techniques are not appHcable to crystallography, metallurgy, and spectroscopic studies. 

The actinide elements exhibit uniformity in ionic types. In acidic aqueous solution, there are four types of cations, and these and their colors are hsted in Table 5 (12—14,17). The open spaces indicate that the corresponding oxidation states do not exist in aqueous solution. The wide variety of colors exhibited by actinide ions is characteristic of transition series of elements. In general, protactinium(V) polymerizes and precipitates readily in aqueous solution and it seems unlikely that ionic forms ate present in such solutions. 

Thousands of compounds of the actinide elements have been prepared, and the properties of some of the important binary compounds are summarized in Table 8 (13,17,18,22). The binary compounds with carbon, boron, nitrogen, siUcon, and sulfur are not included these are of interest, however, because of their stabiUty at high temperatures. A large number of ternary compounds, including numerous oxyhaUdes, and more compHcated compounds have been synthesized and characterized. These include many intermediate (nonstoichiometric) oxides, and besides the nitrates, sulfates, peroxides, and carbonates, compounds such as phosphates, arsenates, cyanides, cyanates, thiocyanates, selenocyanates, sulfites, selenates, selenites, teUurates, tellurites, selenides, and teUurides. 

Thorium [7440-29-1], a naturally occurring radioactive element, atomic number 90, atomic mass 232.0381, is the second element of the actinide ( f) series (see Actinides AND transactinides Radioisotopes). Discovered in 1828 in a Norwegian mineral, thorium was first isolated in its oxide form. For the light actinide elements in the first half of the. series, there is a small energy difference between and 5/ 6d7 electronic configurations. Atomic spectra... 

Table 31.4 Oxidation states and stereochemistries of compounds of the actinides An is used as a general symbol for the actinide elements...

Table 31.5 Oxides of the Actinide Elements The most stable oxide of each element is printed in bold.

Unsubstituted bisphthalocyanines 2 are formed in the presence of several elements which exist in a stable oxidation state of + III or +IV such as titanium, zirconium, hafnium, indium and most of the lanthanide and actinide elements. 

In terms of gross features of mechanism, a redox reaction between transition metal complexes, having adjacent stable oxidation states, generally takes place in a simple one-equivalent change. For the post-transition and actinide elements, where there is usually a difference of two between the stable oxidation states, both single two-equivalent and consecutive one-equivalent changes are possible. 

Fig. 12.1 Oxidation states of the actinide elements most stable ions in aqueous solutions ++ oxidation states observed in aqueous solutions +, unstable ions observed only as transient species. In solids precipitated from alkaline solutions.

The first and thus far only silsesquioxane complex of an actinide element is [Cy7Si70i2]2U (100). This colorless, nicely crystalline uranium(VI) compound is formed upon reaction of 3 with any uranium precursor, e.g., UCI4 in the presence of NEt3. In all cases oxidation of uranium to the hexavalent oxidation state is observed. The best synthetic route leading to 100 in ca. 80% yield is the reaction of 3 with uranocene as outlined in Scheme 33. 

Americium may be separated from other elements, particularly from the lanthanides or other actinide elements, by techniques involving oxidation, ion exchange and solvent extraction. One oxidation method involves precipitation of the metal in its trivalent state as oxalate (controlled precipitation). Alternatively, it may be separated by precipitating out lanthanide elements as fluorosilicates leaving americium in the solution. Americium may also he oxidized from trivalent to pentavalent state by hypochlorite in potassium carbonate solution. The product potassium americium (V) carbonate precipitates out. Curium and rare earth metals remain in the solution. An alternative approach is to oxidize Am3+ to Am022+ in dilute acid using peroxydisulfate. Am02 is soluble in fluoride solution, while trivalent curium and lanthanides are insoluble. 

In actinide binary compounds an equation of state can also be developed on the same lines. The difference in electronegativity of the actinide and the non-actinide element plays an important role, determining the degree of mixing between the actinide orbitals (5 f and 6 d) and the orbitals of the ligand. A mixture of metallic, ionic and covalent bond is then encountered. In the chapter, two classes of actinide compounds are reviewed NaCl-structure pnictides or chalcogenides, and oxides. 

Burns, P. C., Miller, M. L. Ewing, R. C. 1997. Incorporation mechanisms of actinide elements into the structures of U6+ phases formed during the oxidation of SNF. Journal of Nuclear Materials, 245, 1-14. 

Paramagnetism results from unpaired electrons. As a result, most compounds containing transition, rare-earth, and actinide elements, including oxides, nitrides, carbides, and borides, exhibit paramagnetism. Such ceramics are generally not of importance due to their paramagnetism alone, since they often exhibit other types of magnetism, as well. 

The oxidation states of the actinide elements are given in Table 8.7. 

Reduction potential data for the actinide elements, including law-rencium, are given in Table 8.8 for the well-characterized oxidation states. 

Uranium and thorium are actinide elements. Their chemical behavior is similar under most conditions. Both are refractory elements, both occur in nature in the +4 oxidation state, and their ionic radii are very similar (U+4 = 1.05 A, Th+4 = l.lOA). However, uranium can also exist in the +6 state as the uranyl ion (U02 2), which forms compounds that are soluble in water. Thus, under oxidizing conditions, uranium can be separated from thorium through the action of water. 

F. T. Edelmann, Scandium, yttrium and the lanthanide and actinide elements, excluding their zero oxidation state complexes in Comprehensive Organometallic Chemistry II (eds. E. W. Abel, EG. A. Stone and G. Wilkinson), Elsevier, Oxford, 1995, vol. 4 (ed.M.F. Lappert), ch. 2. 

In several respects, this ranking is not unexpected low charge, high mobility ions like Ca and Sr2+ should leach more easily than the rare earth and actinide elements. Although plutonium and cerium have similar properties as pure oxides, Plutonium was found to have a higher release rate than Cerium or Curium. Obviously, much more work is needed to understand these differences than was possible with this study. 

In contrast to the lanthanide 4f transition series, for which the normal oxidation state is +3 in aqueous solution and in solid compounds, the actinide elements up to, and including, americium exhibit oxidation states from +3 to +7 (Table 1), although the common oxidation state of americium and the following elements is +3, as in the lanthanides, apart from nobelium (Z = 102), for which the +2 state appears to be very stable with respect to oxidation in aqueous solution, presumably because of a high ionization potential for the 5/14 No2+ ion. Discussions of the thermodynamic factors responsible for the stability of the tripositive actinide ions with respect to oxidation or reduction are available.1,2... 

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