Plutonium tetrachloride

Plutonium tetrachloride

Names
IUPAC name Plutonium tetrachloride
Identifiers
CAS Number	161280-01-9  N
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID90615460
InChI InChI=1S/4ClH.Pu/h4*1H;/q;;;;+4/p-4 Key: QNJPYBOCFFOTGM-UHFFFAOYSA-J
SMILES [Cl-].[Cl-].[Cl-].[Cl-].[Pu+4]
Properties
Chemical formula	PuCl4
Molar mass	386 g·mol−1
Structure
Crystal structure	tetragonal
Related compounds
Other anions	Plutonium tetrafluoride
Other cations	Neptunium tetrachloride Uranium tetrachloride
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Infobox references

Plutonium tetrachloride is an inorganic compound of plutonium and chlorine with the chemical formula PuCl₄. ^{[1] [2]}

Synthesis

The compound is formed when plutonium trichloride is put in a stream of chlorine: ^[3]

PuCl₃ + 1/2 Cl₂ → PuCl₄

Physical properties

The compound is not stable as a solid; however, it is known in the gas phase. ^{[4] : 1095}

Uses

A mixture of uranium tetrachloride and plutonium tetrachloride is used as fuel for nuclear reactors. ^[5]

References

1. Cleveland, J. M.; Bryan, G. H.; Sironen, R. J. (1 January 1972). "Ammoniates of plutonium(III) and (IV) halides". Inorganica Chimica Acta . 6: 54–58. doi:10.1016/S0020-1693(00)91758-4. ISSN   0020-1693 . Retrieved 27 September 2025.
2. Ahrland, S.; Bagnall, K. W.; Brown, D. (7 June 2016). The Chemistry of the Actinides: Comprehensive Inorganic Chemistry. Elsevier. p. 181. ISBN   978-1-4831-5934-8 . Retrieved 27 September 2025.
3. Morss, L. R.; Edelstein, Norman M.; Fuger, Jean (31 December 2007). The Chemistry of the Actinide and Transactinide Elements (3rd ed., Volumes 1-5). Springer Science & Business Media. p. 1094. ISBN   978-1-4020-3598-2 . Retrieved 27 September 2025.
4. Clark, David L.; Hecker, Siegfried S.; Jarvinen, Gordon D.; Neu, Mary P. (2011). "Plutonium". The Chemistry of the Actinide and Transactinide Elements (PDF). doi:10.1007/978-94-007-0211-0_7. ISBN   978-94-007-0211-0.
5. Liu, Chunyu; Luo, Run; Macián-Juan, Rafael (15 October 2021). "A New Uncertainty-Based Control Scheme of the Small Modular Dual Fluid Reactor and Its Optimization". Energies . 14 (20): 6708. doi: 10.3390/en14206708 . ISSN   1996-1073.