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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Methods for Analyzing the Impacts of Natural Uranium on In Vitro Osteoclastogenesis
Published on: January 30, 2018
Crown and bowl-shaped clusters of uranyl polyhedra
Ginger E Sigmon1, Brittany Weaver, Karrie-Ann Kubatko
1Department of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, 156 Fitzpatrick Hall, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA.
Abstract:
Bowl (U(16)) and crown-shaped clusters (U(20R) and U(24R)) containing 16, 20, and 24 uranyl peroxide polyhedra self-assemble in alkaline aqueous solution under ambient conditions. Structural analyses of crystallized clusters provided details of their topologies. Each contains uranyl hexagonal bipyramids in which two cis edges are peroxide, with a third edge defined by two OH groups, as well as hexagonal bipyramids in which three edges are peroxide. These are the first open uranyl peroxide clusters reported, and they join a growing family of complex cluster topologies based on uranium that hold promise for nanoscale control of chemistry in nuclear energy cycles.
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