Chemistry of inorganic uranium compounds in liquid ammonia

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Florian Kraus
• Subject Area: Solid State and Surface Chemistry, Material Synthesis
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 437420997

Reactions of uranium compounds in ammonia are to be investigated in an exploratory way. For the currently known binary U halides we have established facile synthesis routes so that know we would like to synthesize the known, and hopefully also new, ternary uranium halides of the alkali and alkaline earth metals. Then, their chemistry in ammonia is to be investigated. Oxidation and reduction agents are to be established for liquid ammonia in order to allow for redox reactions with dissolved uranium compounds. Ag(I) and Au(I), as well as the metals that dissolve under ambient pressure in liquid ammonia, will be used. Alkali metal amides and ammonium compounds will provide for the access to the ammonobasic and ammonoacidic regime, respectively, to investigate the impact upon ammonolysis reactions. The synthesis of uranium pseudohalides is to be investigated. The uranyl(V) ion, UO2+, seems to be more stable in NH3 solution than in the aqueous system. Targeted accesses towards this species are to be established. The electrochemic synthesis of uranium metal or uranium nitride from liquid ammonia is to be investigated.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants