4f-Elements-Based Materials: Design, Crystal Chemistry and Properties

Dear Colleagues,

Natural and synthetic rare-earth and actinide compounds are attracting increasing attention due to the great variety of their significance and application. The covered areas range from catalysis to magnetism and from superporous frameworks to environmental concerns, space industry, and medicine. The most addressed properties are complex interplays of d- and f-magnetic systems and extremely high intermetallic magnetization, luminescence, and the production of neutron sources, to name just a few. Both lanthanide and actinide isotopes are abundantly produced in nuclear fuel cycles and correspond to both the most important and most dangerous constituents. Due to a variety of accessible oxidation states, actinide compounds are characterized by amazingly versatile crystal and redox chemistry. There is no doubt about the importance of in-depth studies of not only the actinide compounds which can be used as promising materials but also those which can form during spent fuel processing and waste storage, or which may contribute to their migration.

In this Special Issue, we invite contributions dedicated to synthesis and studies of both lanthanide- and actinide-based materials, their structural and materials chemistry, developing approaches toward their targeted synthesis, including structural design, as well as safe processing and storage of spent fuel. We also welcome papers concerning f-metal minerals, derived materials, and new ways of actinide immobilization in natural and human-made media. Of essential interest are also contributions dedicated to the comparison of various properties of actinides and their 4f-analogs, which may be relevant to the yet elusive chemistry of the latest actinide elements.

Dr. Evgeny Nazarchuk
Guest Editor

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