Uranium nitride trophy: a win for nuclear energy

For decades, chemists have referred to it as the "trophy" molecule; plenty desirable but excruciatingly difficult to synthesize. In a study published yesterday in Science, UK researchers report a much easier way. The properties of uranium nitride -- high energy density, high melting point, better thermal conductivity, improved radiation stability and fewer impurities -- are favorable for nuclear energy production, whose current fuel is primarily comprised of uranium oxides. The problem is making the stuff. Traditional synthesis involves high temperatures and pressures, but this introduces too many impurities. The other alternative was cold synthesis, but this involved expensive cryogenic equipment. The University of Nottingham team was able to accomplish the same at room temperature by cleverly bonding the delicate nitrides with sodium in an organic molecule they then wrapped around uranium atoms. The final step was to remove the sodium, leaving stable uranium-nitrogen triple bonds.