The complex formation in the binary uranium(VI)-glycolate, -α-hydoxyisobutyrate, -α-aminoisobutyrate systems in 1.0 M NaClO 4 medium was studied by means of UV-vis, TRLFS, and EXAFS. An increase in absorption and a red shift of the spectra, 5 nm compared to the free UO 2 2+ , indicate a complex formation between UO 2 2+ and α-substituted carboxylic acids already at pH 2. 1 : 1 complexes dominate the uranyl speciation in the glycolate, α-hydoxyisobutyrate, and α-aminoisobutyrate system at pH 2 and 3, respectively. At higher ligand concentrations a 1 : 2 complex between UO 2 2+ and α-aminoisobutyric acid was observed.There is a very strong quenching of the U(VI) fluorescence in the uranyl-α-hydroxycarboxylate systems that can be quantitatively described by the Stern-Volmer equation. As a result of the strong quenching it is not possible to detect fluorescence spectra for these complexes using TRLFS. The UO 2 2+ (aq) concentration calculated from the Stern-Volmer equation was used to determine equilibrium constants which are in good agreement with those obtained by potentiometry and NMR spectroscopy. No quenching was observed in the α-aminoisobutyrate system and their fluorescence spectra could be deconvoluted into components for the different species present. The following stability constants result from our TRLFS experiments: a) for the glycolate system log β UO 2 (HOCH 2 COO) + = 2.52 ± 0.20, b) for the α-hydroxyisobutyrate system log β UO 2 [HOC(CH 3 ) 2 COO] + = 3.40 ± 0.21, and c) for the α-aminoisobutyrate system log β UO 2 [NH 3 C(CH 3 ) 2 COO] 2+ = 1.30 ± 0.10 and log β UO 2 [NH 3 C(CH 3 ) 2 COO] 2 2+ = 2.07 ± 0.25. An increase of the fluorescence intensity connected with a red shift of the fluorescence emission spectra was observed in the system uranyl-α-aminoisobutyric acid. Fluorescence lifetimes and spectra were obtained for UO 2 2+ , UO 2 [NH 3 C(CH 3 ) 2 COO] 2+ , and UO 2 [NH 3 C(CH 3 ) 2 COO] 2 2+ . Uranium L III -edge EXAFS measurements yielded an U−O eq distance of 2.40 to 2.43 Å in the pH range from 2 to 4 in the α-hydroxyisobutyrate system showing a dominant bidentate coordination via the oxygens of the carboxylic group. Slightly shorter U−O eq distances of 2.40 to 2.38 Å and no evidence for U−C distances around 2.90 Å in the glycolate system in this pH range may indicate a monodentate coordinated ligand via one oxygen from the carboxylic group. The decrease in the U−O eq distance of the equatorial oxygens in both systems to pH values ≥ 5 is a strong indication for the formation of a chelate complex due to the deprotonation of the α-OH-group of the ligand. In the glycolate system in the pH range 5.5 to 11, the EXAFS spectrum showed evidence of U−U interaction at 3.81 Å indicating the formation of dimeric species.