A complete understanding of californium chemistry necessitates knowledge of its radiation induced redox behavior, owing to its inherent nuclear instability propagating self-radiolysis. Only a handful of studies have investigated californium radiation chemistry, due to lack of availability and difficulty associated with handling highly radioactive material. To date, reaction rate coefficients have only been experimentally determined for the reduction of Cf(III) by the hydrated electron (e–aq, k &gt; 3 109 M–1 s–1), and subsequent decay of the corresponding transient Cf(II) (k = (7 ± 1) 105 s–1). However, there are a number of other important transient radiolysis products radiolytically generated in solutions pertinent to Cf manipulations, e.g. the hydrogen atom (H●, Eo = 2.31 V), hydroxyl radical (●OH, Eo = 2.73 V), and nitrate radical (NO3●, Eo = 2.3 – 2.6 V). These species are more than capable of influencing the redox behavior of Cf, and have been shown to do so with a number of actinides, e.g. neptunium and americium. Here we present a time-resolved picosecond pulsed electron irradiation study for californium-249.

Radiation induced redox chemistry of californium-249

2019 Spring National Meeting

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