Ion interaction

Researchers at the US Department of Energy's

and the

have successfully applied X-ray scattering techniques to determine how dissolved metal ions interact in solution.

According to Argonne, these findings will help researchers better understand how metal ions, such as those found in nuclear waste and other industrial processes, behave in the environment.

The results show that the ion structures are visible in solution and reveals their interactions with other ions.

‘The scientific community has long asked the question, “What happens to a metal ion in solution?”' said Suntharalingam “Skantha” Skanthakumar, Argonne senior scientific associate. ‘Direct measurement of metal correlations in solutions show long-range interactions and a strong correspondence to the structures in solution and solid state environment.’

‘We have been provided with additional structural and chemical insight into tetravalent actinide hydrolysis," said Lynda Soderholm. "We discovered that the way atoms interact is transferable with a lot more detail than what was previously thought. Hydrolysis of dissolved metal ions is one of the most fundamental and important reactions in aqueous chemistry.”