Nuclear chemistry

The nuclear chemistry developed in the department is part of the transition of the French nuclear industry. As such, we are conducting research into the circularity of nuclear waste (Orano collaboration) and the development of fuels suitable for molten salt reactor design, in addition to essential fundamental research to better understand chemical bonding in these heavy elements (ERC PhiBond). Our facilities enable us to handle uranium and thorium, while we collaborate with several universities (Berkeley, GeorgiaTech, Pittsburgh) for heavier elements (Np, Pu). Current projects and those under development are as follows.

1. Fundamental chemistry of heavy element organometallic complexes: study of Phi bonding

2. Low-valence uranium complexes for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER)

3. Electroreduction of carbon dioxide on radioactive palladium: electrochemical mechanistic studies

4. Uranium-plutonium fluoride complexes for molten-salt reactors

5. Uranyl(VI)-based photo-catalysis

6. Uranium oxide materials

Bibliography