General information on the transplutonium elements. History of discovery and methods of production. Isotopes and their properties. Chemical-analytical characteristics of transplutonium elements and their compounds. Production and properties of the metals. Behavior of ions of transplutonium elements in aqueous solutions. Detection and determination of transplutonium elements. Radiometric method. Spectrophometric methods. Isolation and separation of transplutonium elements. Separation by precipitation with inorganic and organic reagents. Determination of Impurities in preparations of transplutonium elements.

Analytical Chemistry of the Actinide Elements presents a number of pertinent techniques for the analysis of actinides and provides sufficient information to guide the analyst in modifying procedures to meet special situations. The book begins with an introductory chapter on the discovery of elements 89-103, their oxidation state, and their electronic configuration. Information is provided on the safe handling of radioactive materials (all actinides are radioactive). The use of nuclear techniques in determining trace concentrations of actinides has led to the inclusion of chapters dealing with nuclear instrumentation and nuclear methods. Topics discussed include the preliminary treatment of samples; separations; emission spectroscopy and mass spectrometry; electrochemical, x-ray, and fluorimetric methods; isotopic analysis of uranium and some other actinides; and non-instrumental methods. Thus, the analytical chemist, if he is not already familiar with these techniques, is indoctrinated in a basic amount of nucleonics, to aid him in analyzing unusual materials with unusual techniques.

The Chemistry of the Actinide and Transactinide Elements is a contemporary and definitive compilation of chemical properties of all of the actinide elements, especially of the technologically important elements uranium and plutonium, as well as the transactinide elements. In addition to the comprehensive treatment of the chemical properties of each element, ion, and compound from atomic number 89 (actinium) through to 109 (meitnerium), this multi-volume work has specialized and definitive chapters on electronic theory, optical and laser fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, organoactinide chemistry, thermodynamics, magnetic properties, the metals, coordination chemistry, separations, and trace analysis. Several chapters deal with environmental science, safe handling, and biological interactions of the actinide elements. The Editors invited teams of authors, who are active practitioners and recognized experts in their specialty, to write each chapter and have endeavoured to provide a balanced and insightful treatment of these fascinating elements at the frontier of the periodic table. Because the field has expanded with new spectroscopic techniques and environmental focus, the work encompasses five volumes, each of which groups chapters on related topics. All chapters represent the current state of research in the chemistry of these elements and related fields.

The fourth edition of "The Chemistry of the Actinide and Transactinide Elements" comprises all chapters in volumes 1 through 5 of the third edition (published in 2006) plus a new volume 6. To remain consistent with the plan of the first edition, “ ... to provide a comprehensive and uniform treatment of the chemistry of the actinide [and transactinide] elements for both the nuclear technologist and the inorganic and physical chemist,” and to be consistent with the maturity of the field, the fourth edition is organized in three parts. The first group of chapters follows the format of the first and second editions with chapters on individual elements or groups of elements that describe and interpret their chemical properties. A chapter on the chemical properties of the transactinide elements follows. The second group, chapters 15-26, summarizes and correlates physical and chemical properties that are in general unique to the actinide elements, because most of these elements contain partially-filled shells of 5f electrons whether present as isolated atoms or ions, as metals, as compounds, or as ions in solution. The third group, chapters 27-39, focuses on specialized topics that encompass contemporary fields related to actinides in the environment, in the human body, and in storage or wastes. Two appendices at the end of volume 5 tabulate important nuclear properties of all actinide and transactinide isotopes. Volume 6 (Chapters 32 through 39) consists of new chapters that focus on actinide species in the environment, actinide waste forms, nuclear fuels, analytical chemistry of plutonium, actinide chalcogenide and hydrothermal synthesis of actinide compounds. The subject and author indices and list of contributors encompass all six volumes.