Elusive uranium 'sandwich' molecule isolated after more than 50 years
Researchers from the University of Manchester have successfully isolated the uranocenium cation, a stable uranium-based 'sandwich' molecule. This breakthrough resolves a 50-year-old chemical challenge by identifying that previous failures were due to reactive electrolytes rather than the molecule's inherent instability.
Why it matters
This discovery advances fundamental knowledge of heavy element bonding and provides a new tool for chemical research, potentially influencing future developments in nuclear chemistry and materials science.
by Conrad Goodwin, University of Manchester
edited by Lisa Lock , reviewed by Robert Egan
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
Add to Preferred Sources Credit: University of Manchester In a study published in Nature Communications , researchers from The University of Manchester and Lancaster University have isolated and characterized uranocenium, the positively charged form of a landmark uranium compound called uranocene. The work shows that this long-sought molecule is stable, and that it behaves in a way that challenges how chemists usually think about bonding in heavy elements.
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