Magnetic isotope effect in the photochemical reduction of uranyl nitrate

Magnetic Isotope Effect: Nuclear Spin Control of Chemical Reactions

“…The uranium-235 MIE was discovered in 1989 and reported in 1990 by Buchachenko, Khudyakov, et al . The search of uranium MIE implies the solution of three problems: (i) to find and to design the reactions of uranium compounds which would generate paramagnetic intermediates, spin carriers; (ii) to identify spin-selective steps in reactions of these intermediates; (iii) to study isotope distribution in the reaction products. The most intriguing and risky problem is the hyperfine coupling constants, since there is no guarantee that the outer unpaired electron is able to reach deeply lying and extremely screened 235 U nucleus and produce an appreciable hyperfine coupling.…”