Actinide oxalates, solid state structures and applications

Abstract Actinide oxalates are an important class of materials mainly for the nuclear industry. This review presents the crystal growth methods addressed to non-soluble actinide (III) and (IV) oxalates and to soluble actinyl oxalates. Actinide-oxalate discrete ions, one-dimensional coordination polymers and two- or three-dimensional frameworks are described for the different oxidation states of actinides in simple, double or triple actinide oxalates together with mixed actinide (IV)-lanthanide (III) or -actinide (III) and mixed ligands actinide oxalates. The main applications of actinide oxalates, particularly for radioactive waste management and nuclear fuel treatment and recycling are also reported.