(July 3, 2012) Experts at
The University of Nottingham are the first to create a stable version of a
‘trophy molecule’ that has eluded scientists for decades.
In research
published in the prestigious journal Science, the team of chemists at
Nottingham has shown that they can prepare a terminal uranium nitride compound
which is stable at room temperature and can be stored in jars in crystallized
or powder form.
Previous
attempts to prepare uranium-nitrogen triple bonds have required temperatures as
low as 5 Kelvin (-268 °C) — roughly the equivalent temperature of interstellar
space — and have therefore been difficult to work with and manipulate,
requiring specialist equipment and techniques.
The
breakthrough could have future implications for the nuclear energy industry —
uranium nitride materials may potentially offer a viable alternative to the
current mixed oxide nuclear fuels used in reactors since nitrides exhibit
superior high densities, melting points, and thermal conductivities and the
process the scientists used to make the compound could offer a cleaner, low
temperature route than methods currently used.