Action of Oxidants on Neptunium(VI) in Acid Solutions
摘要
In solutions with рН 1.5–2.5, terbium(IV) stabilized with unsaturated phosphotungstate anions P2W17O6110– slowly oxidizes NpO22+·5H2O. The Np(VII) cation arising in the process preserves the surrounding of Np(VI), i.e., remains a pentagonal bipyramid. Therefore, the oxidation potential of the Np(VII)/(VI) couple is higher than that of the couple in which Np(VII) generated by acidification of the Np(VII) anion preserves the octahedral surrounding. High potential of Np(VII) with the structure of a pentagonal bipyramid makes Np(VII) unstable. We failed to obtain it using such strong oxidants as persulfate, perxenate, and xenon difluoride. Flash radiolysis may become an effective tool for oxidizing Np(VI) in deaerated solutions containing persulfate or ХеО3 at рН 1.5–3.