New developments in gas-phase actinide ion chemistry

In this review, recent progress in the study of the chemistry of actinide ions in the gas phase is summarized. The new results, obtained using various mass spectrometric techniques, encompass reactivity studies of bare and ligated actinide ions with inorganic and organic molecules, thermochemical studies of neutral and ionic actinide oxides, and solvation studies of ionic actinide species. A few examples of the implications of this fundamental research to other aspects of actinide chemistry are presented. Potential future work in this area is briefly discussed. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.