Non-aqueous neptunium and plutonium redox behaviour in THF - access to a rare Np(iii) synthetic precursor

Scott A Pattenaude; Nickolas H Anderson; Suzanne C Bart; Andrew J Gaunt; Brian L Scott

doi:10.1039/c8cc02611d

Non-aqueous neptunium and plutonium redox behaviour in THF - access to a rare Np(iii) synthetic precursor

Chem Commun (Camb). 2018 Jun 12;54(48):6113-6116. doi: 10.1039/c8cc02611d.

Authors

Scott A Pattenaude¹, Nickolas H Anderson, Suzanne C Bart, Andrew J Gaunt, Brian L Scott

Affiliation

¹ Chemistry Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA. [email protected].

PMID: 29736543
DOI: 10.1039/c8cc02611d

Abstract

Solvent exchange of NpCl4(DME)2 with THF proceeds simply to yield NpCl4(THF)3, whereas PuCl4(DME)2 is unstable in THF, partially decomposing to the mixed valent [PuIIICl2(THF)5][PuIVCl5(THF)] salt. Reduction of NpCl4(THF)3 with CsC8 ultimately afforded NpCl3(py)4, the only example of a structurally characterized solvated Np(iii) halide. The method demonstrates a route to a well-defined Np(iii) starting material without the need to employ scarcely available Np metal.