Radiochemistry

This section of Annual Reports is devoted to a review of recent developments in those aspects of chemistry where radioactivity is of importance or interest rather than to the chemistry of those elements which happen to be radioactive. The main topics to be considered will be the production of specific isotopes, the preparation of labelled compounds, and a consideration of the chemical reactions that are initiated by nuclear reactions, including decay. Recent general reviews have covered modern trends in radiochemistry, actinide chemistry, and nuclear technology, as well as radiochemical experiments for schools and colleges. Many popular articles have appeared to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the explosion of the first atomic bomb; particularly interesting is the account of work at Los Alamos from that time to the present day. (author)