Structural investigation of Neptunium(IV) in toxicological processes

Abstract

AbstractGeneral understanding of intramolecular interactions engaged in molecular actinide species, in other words physical chemical mechanisms that drive the affinity of chelating ligands for actinide cations still needs to be deepened. In this field, X ray Absorption Spectroscopy has been extensively used as a structural and electronic metal cation probe. Combination with more traditional spectroscopic techniques as spectrophotometry is an ideal tool for the understanding of the chelation mechanism. Metallobiomolecules are considered as elaborate inorganic complexes with well-designed metal active sites. Although the various interaction processes between essential cations to biology and proteins are widely studied, focus on the actinide family is more seldom. Actinide impact to biological cycles has been motivated by risk assessments related to the wide use of nuclear fuel sources and industrial or military applications. In particular, the interactions of these cations with the biologically active complexation sites are only partially understood.