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Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films
Published on: November 9, 2015
Periodic trends in actinide phosphonates: divergence and convergence between thorium, uranium, neptunium, and
Anna-Gay D Nelson1, Travis H Bray, Forrest A Stanley
1Department of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556-9956, USA.
Abstract:
The hydrothermal reactions of both PuO(2)(2+) and PuO(2) with phosphonates results in the formation of Pu(IV) phosphonates. Pu(CH(3)PO(3))(2), Pu[CH(2)(PO(3))(2)](H(2)O), and UO(2)Pu(H(2)O)(2)[CH(2)(PO(3))(PO(3)H)](2) have been isolated from these reactions and structurally characterized. Pu(CH(3)PO(3))(2) contains six-coordinate Pu(IV) and adopts a structure closely related to that of alpha-Zr(HPO(4))(2). Pu[CH(2)(PO(3))(2)](H(2)O) forms a novel three-dimensional network with seven-coordinate Pu(IV) and chelating/bridging [CH(2)(PO(3))(2)](4-) anions. The heterobimetallic U(VI)/Pu(IV) diphosphonate, UO(2)Pu(H(2)O)(2)[CH(2)(PO(3))(PO(3)H)](2), also forms a three-dimensional network. To complete the An[CH(2)(PO(3))(2)](H(2)O)(n) (An = Th, U, Np, Pu; n = 1, 2) and UO(2)An(H(2)O)(2)[CH(2)(PO(3))(PO(3)H)](2) series, Th[CH(2)(PO(3))(2)](H(2)O)(2) and UO(2)Th(H(2)O)(2)[CH(2)(PO(3))(PO(3)H)](2) have also been prepared. These compounds are isostructural with their Np(IV) analogues.
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