The rapid reduction of NpO 2 2+ ions to NpO 2 + by U(IV) ions in an aqueous nitric acid solution has been studied and, in many ways, is similar in character to the same reaction in HClO 4 . The major difference is that in HNO 3 the reaction proceeds via two parallel routes. The first is via the hydrolysed UOH 3+ ion, as in the reaction in HClO 4 and the second is via the non-hydrolysed U 4+ ion. These parallel routes lead to the observed order of reaction with respect to H + ions being reduced from −1 in HClO 4 to −0.7 in HNO 3 . After accounting for the reaction mechanism the rate equation is described by:where k 8 = 404 min −1 , k 19 = 275 M −1 min −1 and β = 0.009 M at 10 • C and µ = 2. The activation energy was 66.5 ± 4.9 kJ mol −1 . Nitrate ions had no effect on the reaction rate but sulphamic acid increased the observed rate, probably through catalysis by sulphate ions arising from sulphamic acid reaction with HNO 2 and hydrolysis.