The individual fields encompassed by nuclear chemistry and technology are manifold, cross- cutting the classical disciplines of chemistry, nuclear physics, and nuclear engineering. The scientific contributions of Heino Nitsche to these fields cover areas as diverse as environmental actinide and radiochemistry to the production and chemistry of the heaviest elements. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Heino made seminal contributions to the fields of actinide environmental chemistry including thermodynamic descriptions of actinide solubility, speciation, and the extension of these studies to understanding the exceptionally complex chemistry of actinide adsorption complexes and redox transformations on mineral and microbial surfaces. Heino enthusiastically embraced the application and development of advanced spectroscopic and analytical methodologies for the study of and advancement of actinide chemistry. Studies on a variety of aspects of the transactinide elements became a part of Heino’s scientific portfolio after his transition to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the University of California, Berkeley. The synthesis in nuclear fusion reactions and the study of their nuclear structure and decay formed one focus, with another one being on the chemical properties of the heaviest elements studied in atom-at-a-time experiments in Berkeley as well as in accelerator centers around the world. Importantly, Heino devoted significant efforts to the advancement of nuclear and radiochemistry, strengthening the education and training of the next-generation workforce in nuclear and radiochemistry, and supporting many scientists and students during the course of his career. Heino’s contributions as a chemist, collaborator, and enthusiastic critic, to the fields of actinide and transactinide chemistry will be highlighted.

Scientific contributions of Heino Nitsche to actinide and transactinide chemistry

249th National Meeting (2015)

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