The Nuclear Chemistry Summer School has provided an introduction to nuclear science for many currently active scientists and, consequentially, has fostered the development of numerous lines of scientific inquiry, in the nuclear field. A recently reinvigorated vein of research has focused on the chemistry of the heaviest available actinides (Am, Cm, Bk, Cf). Certain systems suggest that covalency becomes increasingly important in actinide interactions with increasing atomic number. This is in direct contrast to the common understanding that the actinides become more, not less, lanthanide-like and ionic in their interactions with increasing atomic mass. Spectroscopic and magnetic experiments have provided the basis for the suggestion of increasing covalency for the heaviest actinides, but these measurements do not indicate how or if the covalency strengthens or weakens the given actinide-ligand complex. Resolution of such questions may indicate: 1) If orbital overlap (aka strong) or degeneracy driven (aka weak) covalency is observed in these systems and 2) the possible origin of the covalent interaction. The trans-actinide thermodynamic complexation trends will be considered for a variety of actinide-ligand systems with an eye towards unraveling these questions and highlighting the role the Nuclear Chemistry Summer School had in advancing this research.

Heavy actinide thermodynamics: Research enabled by the Nuclear Chemistry Summer School

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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