Electrochemistry of uranium in ionic organic media: Ethylammonium nitrate and acetamide-KSCN eutectic

The electrochemical reduction of hexavalent and tetravalent uranium is investigated in ethylammonium nitrate at 298 K and in the acetamide-KSCN eutectic at 400 K. The transient techniques describe a two-step reduction of UO₂²⁺ in acetamide-KSCN while only one step is observed in ethylammonium nitrate. The reduction of tetravalent uranium proceeds in one step giving trivalent uranium in the two media. In any cases, additional kinetic phenomena are the source of difficulties for the understanding of the reactions. In controlled potential electrolysis, side-reactions between the reduced species and the solvent impede completely the mechanism foreseen by transient methods.