Similarities between the Coordination of Actinide Ions in Solution and the Structures of their Related Crystalline Phases

Abstract

High-energy x-ray scattering (HEXS) is used to probe correlations about selected actinide ions in solution. The experiments were designed to favor homoleptic water coordination in order to compare the preferred structural environment of UO 2 2+ , NpO 2 + , and Cm 3+ with similar ligands. In addition to comparisons between the three actinide ions in solution, the results from the HEXS studies are also compared with known solid state structures. Marked similarities are found between near-and next-near neighbor coordination in solution and in the solid state.