Thermodynamics of actinide complexation in solution at elevated temperatures: application of variable-temperature titration calorimetry

Abstract

Studies of actinide complexation in solution at elevated temperatures provide insight into the effect of solvation and the energetics of complexation, and help to predict the chemical behavior of actinides in nuclear waste processing and disposal where temperatures are high. This tutorial review summarizes the data on the complexation of actinides at elevated temperatures and describes the methodology for thermodynamic measurements, with the emphasis on variable-temperature titration calorimetry, a highly valuable technique to determine the enthalpy and, under appropriate conditions, the equilibrium constants of complexation as well.