Solvated Actinoids: Methanol, Ethanol, and Water Adducts of Thorium and Uranium Tetrachloride

The solvent adducts of the tetravalent actinoid chlorides ThCl4 and UCl4 have been isolated with methanol as [ThCl4(MeOH)(4)] 1 and [UCl4(MeOH)(4)] 2, and with ethanol as [ThCl4(EtOH)(4)] 3 and [UCl4(EtOH)(4)] 4. In hydrochloric acid [ThCl2(H2O)(7)](Cl)(2)(H2O)(2) 5 forms, which is isotypic to the known [UCl2(H2O)(7)](Cl)(2)(H2O)(2) 6. The adducts have been analysed using SXRD, IR, CHN, TGA-MS and PXRD. The material can be isolated from saturated organic (1-4) or acidic aqueous (5-6) solutions, however, drying of the isolated material results in loss of HCl and the formation of oxide species, confirmed by the isolation of U3O8 after complete thermal decomposition.