Aqueous chemistry of tetravalent cerium (Ce(IV)): Characterisation of polymer and cluster complexes formed via hydrolysis

Because of their high charge density, the aqueous chemistry of f-elements with lower valences (i.e. tri- and tetravalent) is predominantly controlled by strong hydrolysis producing a variety of hydroxide species. Interestingly enough, this strong hydrolysis often induces the intrinsic formation of polymer and nano-sized cluster complexes which are stable even in aqueous solutions. This talk will provide a recent overview of the hydrolysis-induced polymer/cluster formation of tetravalent f-elements, with a special focus on tetravalent cerium (Ce(IV)), primarily from the viewpoint of structural chemistry, as well as the associated characterisation techniques (e.g. X-ray absorption spectroscopy or X-ray scattering).