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Protons and neutrons, collectively called nucleons, are packed together tightly in a nucleus. With a radius of about 10−15 meters, a nucleus is quite small compared to the radius of the entire atom, which is about 10−10 meters. Nuclei are extremely dense compared to bulk matter, averaging 1.8 × 1014 grams per cubic centimeter. If the earth’s density were equal to the average nuclear density, the earth’s radius would be only about 200 meters.
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Related Experiment Video

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Line Shape Analysis of Dynamic NMR Spectra for Characterizing Coordination Sphere Rearrangements at a Chiral Rhenium Polyhydride Complex

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Published on: July 27, 2022

Seventeen-Coordinate Actinide Helium Complexes.

Nikolas Kaltsoyannis¹

¹School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.

Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)

|May 17, 2017

Summary

Computational studies reveal unprecedented coordination numbers for actinide ions complexed with helium atoms. New record structures, AcHe173+, ThHe174+, and PaHe174+, demonstrate stable, charge-induced dipole bonding in these unique molecular ions.

Keywords:

actinides atoms in molecules coordination number density functional theory helium

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Thermochemical Studies of NiII and ZnII Ternary Complexes Using Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry

Thermochemical Studies of NiII and ZnII Ternary Complexes Using Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry

Published on: June 8, 2022

Area of Science:

Computational Chemistry
Inorganic Chemistry
Quantum Chemistry

Background:

Actinide elements exhibit unique electronic properties and complexation behaviors.
Understanding the interactions between heavy elements and noble gases is crucial for fundamental chemistry.

Purpose of the Study:

To computationally explore the geometries and electronic structures of actinide-helium molecular ions.
To establish new coordination number records for actinide complexes.

Main Methods:

Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations.
Coupled Cluster (CC) theories.
Quantum Theory of Atoms in Molecules (QTAIM) analysis.

Main Results:

Discovery of true geometric minima for AcHe173+, ThHe174+, and PaHe174+, setting new coordination number records.
Confirmation of closed-shell, charge-induced dipole bonding in AcHe_n^3+ systems (n=1-17).
Excellent correlations found between QTAIM metrics and actinide-helium bond distances/binding energies.

Conclusions:

Actinide ions can coordinate a significantly larger number of helium atoms than previously thought.
Charge-induced dipole interactions are key to the stability of these novel actinide-helium complexes.
QTAIM provides valuable insights into the nature and strength of bonding in these systems.