Actinyl cations are the prevalent form of high valent U, Np, and Pu in aqueous solutions and studies on the uranyl cation (UO22+) are particularly important for processing of spent nuclear fuel and migration of radionuclides in the environment. Previously reported work within our group highlighted the role of the coordination environment on uranyl (U=O) bond strength and interactions with neighboring hydrogens atoms.1 Building upon those results, and in an effort to target intermolecular interactions occurring at the oxo (Oyl) atom, novel structures have been synthesized from aqueous solutions. Characterization of all materials were preformed via single crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction, Raman, and IR spectroscopy. A specific focus on the symmetric and anti-symmetric stretches of the uranyl cation provides insight into the relationship between bond strength and equatorial ligand pairings. These structures serve as precursors for future neptunyl studies to improve understanding of oxo (Oyl) behavior across the actinide series.

Identifying actinyl intermolecular interactions of the U(VI)O22+ cation in coordination compounds

255th National Meeting (2018)

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