Reductive activation of neptunyl and plutonyl oxo species with a hydroxypyridinone chelating ligand

Oxo group activation with reduction of neptunyl(VI) and plutonyl(VI) to tetravalent hydroxo species by the hydroxypyridinone siderophore derivative 3,4,3-LI-(1,2-HOPO) was investigated in the gas-phase via electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, in solution via Raman spectroscopy, and computationally via density functional theory. Dissociation of the gas-phase tetravalent complexes resulted in actinide–hydroxo bond cleavage.