Actinide bonding could be tweaked by adjusting oxidation states

The final piece of the jigsaw puzzle of how actinides bond with ligands through phi bonds has been identified, with its control via oxidation states paving the way for advances in f-block catalysis and quantum computing.

The actinide series includes the heaviest elements that occur naturally on Earth, and how they bond with ligands is essential to understand, both in terms of fundamental chemistry and in solving problems in the nuclear industry. However, their radioactivity and the complexity of working with these elements makes it difficult to confirm theoretical predictions.