Handbook on the Physics and Chemistry of the Actinides

Volume 4 of the Handbook is the second of two volumes to cover the more chemical, physico-chemical, structural and environmental aspects of the actinide elements. Leading scientists present critical reviews on important aspects of the behaviour of this radioactive group of elements. Radioactivity has a profound influence on the chemical behaviour of the actinides, in contrast to most other elements. The unusual behaviour of the 5f-elements - delocalization of the electrons for the light actinides versus localization for the heavier ones - makes them an outstanding tool for the scientist, which can be seen by the variety of oxidation states ranging from +1 to +7. Special laboratory techniques must be developed to deal with the problem of the transcurium elements only being available in small amounts (nanograms to micrograms) or only in the tracer scale. Special emphasis is also placed on the fate of actinides released in the environment, e.g. their reaction to carbonate and organic complexing agents in aquatic systems.