Instability of actinide(IV) hexachloro complexes in room-temperature ionic liquid [BuMeIm]PF6 due to hydrolysis of the hexafluorophosphate anion

Visible/NIR spectrophotometry, solid-state NMR and spectroscopy reveal the hydrolysis of the PF 6 − anion in the room-temperature ionic liquid [BuMeIm]PF 6 , where BuMeIm + is 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium, in the presence of water and AnCl 6 2− , where An(IV) is Th(IV), Np(IV), and Pu(IV). Slow absorption spectra evolution of AnCl 6 2− solutions is finished by solid products' precipitation. Solids are attributed to the mixture of An(IV) phosphates and fluorophosphates.