Luminescence of transplutonium elements in solutions and its application

Published data on the luminescence of Cm(III), Bk(III), Cf(III), and Es(III) in solutions from the 1960's to the present are reviewed. The luminescence of Cm, the intensity of which in solutions is much greater than that of other transplutonium elements (TPE), has been studied most. Various modes of exciting luminescence in Cm and Am are examined. Photoexcitation, both directly into absorption lines of the f-element ions themselves and through energy transfer from strongly absorbing ligands, is used most frequently. Photoluminescence characteristics of Cm and Am in various media are presented. The application of TPE luminescence for determining trace quantities of Cm(III) and Am(III) and investigating their behavior in natural waters is examined. The existing data indicate that luminescence determination is much more sensitive than other laser spectroscopic methods for determining TPE in solutions. This makes it possible to investigate the behavior of Cm(III) and Am(III) directly in natural waters at concentrations of the order of 10-9 M and less. Various luminescence methods for studying the complexation of these elements are described. The chemical excitation of Cm and Am luminescence and Cm luminescence by self α-irradiation are also reviewed. The luminescence of TPE, Np, and Pu in ionic crystals and its application for spectroscopic investigations and for analytical determination of these elements are briefly examined. The increasing number of publications on TPE luminescence indicates that this area is developing rather rapidly