Thorium chemistry revealed

Thorium is a metallic chemical element, part of a group within the periodic table known as the actinides. Although it may have important applications in areas like catalysis and clean energy, its fundamental chemistry remains poorly understood.

The EU-funded 'THOR: Organometallic thorium chemistry' (THOR) project was set up to bridge this knowledge gap. It paired scientific expertise in actinide and metallic bonding chemistries from China and the EU with world-class facilities.

Researchers successfully synthesised and characterised a number of thorium and uranium complexes. They used advanced methods to study the nature of the chemical bonds within these complexes, as well as their structure and reactivity.

A number of pioneering insights were achieved, published, and presented at international conferences.

As thorium is both abundant and low in radioactivity, it may be an alternative to uranium for nuclear power, a clean energy source. It may also find use in the remediation of nuclear waste.

The actinide chemistry knowledge produced by THOR thus contributed to strategically important research areas, opening up further opportunities in catalysis, magnetism, materials and energy science. In addition, EU research in these fields has gained a completive advantage, as well as long-term collaborations with China.