Oxidative breakdown of polymeric plutonium(IV) hydroxide by cerium(IV)

Abstract The breakdown of polymeric plutonium(IV) hydroxide (plutonium colloid) by cerium(IV) has been studied spectrophotometrically by monitoring the formation of plutonium(VI). Reaction rate variations were studied with changes in cerium(IV), acid and plutonium colloid concentrations. A reaction mechanism involving the formation of [Ce 2 O(OH) 2 ] 4+ and its reaction with the polymer surface to produce two plutonium(V) ions is postulated to explain the observed kinetic data, in particular the maximum in the reaction rate at around 0.3 M nitric acid.