Techniques of preparation and crystal chemistry of transuranic chalcogenides and pnictides

The crystal chemistry of a number of transuranic chalcogenides and pnictides has been investigated using 243Am, 248Cm, 249Bk and 249Cf. These compounds were prepared from the corresponding metals by direct reaction with the chalcogen or pnictogen element at elevated temperatures. Higher chalcogenides were thermally dissociated to yield ones of lower stoichiometry, terminating with the sesquichalcogenides; only monopnictides of these transplutonium elements were found. All products were examined by X-ray powder diffraction. In this paper the methods for preparing the actinide chalcogenides and pnictides on a gram scale are reviewed, and the microtechniques used for submilligram quantities of the transamericium elements are presented. The results obtained during this study are compared to data previously reported for the lighter actinide compounds, and the trends observed across the series are discussed