uranyl radical

9.9

A charged particle made of uranium and oxygen that forms salts with acids

noun
/ˈjʊrəˌnɪl ˈrædɪkəl/

Specialized

: radical uranilo

Salts containing the uranyl radical are typically bright yellow in color.

Examples

The uranyl radical plays a significant role in the chemistry of nuclear fuel processing.
The toxicity of the uranyl radical is of concern in environmental chemistry research.
The uranyl radical is essential in nuclear chemistry.
Scientists study the properties of uranyl radicals in various reactions.
Salts containing the uranyl radical are typically bright yellow in color.
The uranyl radical plays a significant role in the chemistry of nuclear fuel processing.
The toxicity of the uranyl radical is of concern in environmental chemistry research.

Synonyms

uranyl

vsuranyl radical

Specialized

9.9

A charged uranium particle with two oxygen atoms attached

is the more explicit descriptive form rather than the short common label

uranyl group

vsuranyl radical

Specialized

9.9

A group made of a uranium atom joined to two oxygen atoms that often forms salts

is the ionic species present as a charged particle rather than a structural group

Surface Forms

uranyl radical singular

uranyl radicals plural

Morphology

uranyl + radical

The phrase denotes a radical species that is based on the uranyl ion, so its meaning is a direct composition of 'uranyl' (the bivalent uranium-oxygen ion) + 'radical' (a reactive species with an unpaired electron). Although technical and domain-specific, the noun-noun modification follows standard compositional chemistry patterns, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

The noun uranyl radical comes from chemistry and names a small charged group made of one uranium atom with two oxygen atoms like arms. So this charged group is an 'ion' that often joins with acids to make 'salts', often bright yellow, and the term means a uranium–oxygen ion that forms salts.