Actinide oxalates, solid state structures and applications

•Complete overview of the wealth of actinide oxalate arrangements in the solid state.•Important role of actinide oxalates particularly in the nuclear industry.•Crystal growth methods adapted to actinide oxalates.•Recent progress crystal growth and structure determination of transuranic oxalates.•Ongoing research challenges with mixed actinide and/or mixed valence actinide oxalates.

Actinide oxalates are an important class of materials mainly for the nuclear industry. This review presents the crystal growth methods addressed to non-soluble actinide (III) and (IV) oxalates and to soluble actinyl oxalates. Actinide-oxalate discrete ions, one-dimensional coordination polymers and two- or three-dimensional frameworks are described for the different oxidation states of actinides in simple, double or triple actinide oxalates together with mixed actinide (IV)-lanthanide (III) or -actinide (III) and mixed ligands actinide oxalates. The main applications of actinide oxalates, particularly for radioactive waste management and nuclear fuel treatment and recycling are also reported.

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