Berkelium chemistry in complexing aqueous solutions and in the solid state

Although the chemistry of berkelium is reasonably well known in mineral acid solutions, there is a lack of extensive knowledge of the behavior of this element in complexing aqueous media. Furthermore, the list of known compounds of Bk(III) and Bk(IV) is relatively short when compared to that of neighboring actinides. Multimilligram quantities of Bk-249 (t12 = 320 days; 0.125 MeV β- decay) were studied in aqueous carbonate and citrate solutions via absorption spectroscopy and bulk solution electrolysis. The spectra of Bk(III) in carbonate and citrate media are reported for the first time. New Bk solids have been prepared and a more complete characterization of Bk2 (C2O4)3 has been made