X-Ray Absorption and Emission Spectroscopy of Actinide Materials: Electronic Structure Questions from the Experimental Viewpoint

Understanding the electronic structure of one of the most complex element groups in the periodic table, the actinides, has been topic of extensive research in the last decades.
Spectroscopic tools for these investigations are provided by X-ray absorption spectra. Especially the An M4,5-edge high-resolution X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy has proven to be a powerful tool for electronic structure investigations.1,2
In this talk it will be demonstrated how newly revealed spectral features can be used for in-depth analyses of the actinide-ligand chemical bond. For model systems, one focus will lie on how the spectra change upon changes in the electronic structure of the actinide element. It will be highlighted how several theoretical methods can give a valuable input to understand the orgin of the spectral features.3–7
(1) Vitova, T.; Pidchenko, I.; Fellhauer, D.; Bagus, P. S.; Joly, Y.; Prüßmann, T.; Bahl, S.; Gonzalez-Robles, E.; Rothe, J.; Altmaier, M.; Denecke, M. A.; Geckeis, H. Nat. Commun. 2017, 8 (May), 1–9.
(2) Vitova, T.; Pidchenko, I.; Fellhauer, D.; Prüßmann, T.; Bahl, S.; Dardenne, K.; Yokosawa, T.; Schimmelpfennig, B.; Altmaier, M.; Denecke, M.; Rothe, J.; Geckeis, H. ... mehrChem. Commun. 2018, 54 (91), 12824–12827.
(3) Polly, R.; Schacherl, B.; Rothe, J.; Vitova, T. Inorg. Chem. 2021, 60 (24), 18764–18776.
(4) Bagus, P. S.; Schacherl, B.; Vitova, T. Inorg. Chem. 2021, 60 (21), 16090–16102.
(5) Schacherl, B.; Trumm, M.; Beck, A.; Vitova, T. 2024, submitted.
(6) Schacherl, B.; Bowes, E.; Adelmann, S. L.; Dardenne, K.; DiMucci, I.; Kozimor, S. A.; Long, B. N.; Müller, N.; Pace, K.; Pruessmann, T.; Rothe, J.; Xu, L.; Kasper, J. M.; Batista, E. R.; Yang, P.; Vitova, T. 2023, submitted.
(7) Schacherl, B.; Tagliavini, M.; Popa, K.; Beck, A.; Walter, O.; Pruessmann, T.; Vollmer, C.; Kaufmann, H.; Mazzanti, M.; Haverkort, M.; Vitova, T. 2023, submitted.