When a radioactive atom in a molecule decays, are the bonds kept?

[Guest]

I'd like to ask you guys something: if a radioactive atom in a molecule decays into another atom, are the bonds still going to be there (as in, not changed)?

Example: If the uranium in a UF[SUB]6 [/SUB]molecule decays into thorium, are the bonds going to be kept (Basically, the molecule becomes ThF[SUB]6[/SUB])?

Thanks.

[InterCity]

I'm not an expert, but in my opinion, most bonds would get broken, because the composition of electron layer is being altered. Also there's quite a bit of energy being released by radioactive decay. I think that in the cases of endothermic reactions, that might actually be enough to break the bond.

[Hcube]

No expert either, but be it an alpha, beta+, or beta- desintegration, the atomic number will change, so the electronic configuration will change too, so the bonds will most likely not remain unchanged.

A beta- would result in an additional electron, and then depending on the element it could fill an orbital and reduce the number of bonds it can have, or it could occupy a previously empty orbital, resulting in an additional single electron and another possible bond...
Though that might change with hybridation... I'm not sure (hey i'm not a chemist !(at all))

[PB666]

Uranium hexafloride as far as i know is an ionic bond the electron density is almost entirely on the fluorine atom. Fluoride as everyone will recall is the most electronegative of all atoms, it wants to hold on to those electrons as tightly as it can. When uranium degrades, there is a possibility there is some electrons kicked form fluoride's outer electron shells. For the most part the fluoride will hold onto there electrons, and some decays will have no fluoride changes; howver we have to remember that this is a salt so electrons can conduct across the salt and a few decays will kick off electrons and this will cost localized electric current.