7. Conclusion

The chemistry of actinides in aqueous media is complex, given the electronic structures of these heavy elements, but also follows practical rules of chemical reactivity due to the ionic nature of chemical bonds. Thermodynamic approaches can effectively describe the stability of soluble and insoluble species, and relatively comprehensive databases are available, together with software for speciation calculations. However, there are a number of gaps that need to be filled in order to make the results of these calculations as accurate as possible, by means of analogies and correlations. Several laboratories continue to acquire thermochemical data for actinides, despite the difficulty of handling these radioactive elements. Theoretical chemistry methods are becoming more and more effective, enabling us to understand the stability and reactivity of actinide compounds, and to complete our knowledge...