Аннотация:The natural interactions of actinides with humic substances (HS), which occur in both mobile and immobile forms, affect their uptake, release, and migration, with regard to the environment. If mobile, HS may enhance actinide solubility due to strong complexing properties. At the same time, they can retard actinide migration by reducing mobile actinides in their higher-valence states to less mobile III- and IV-valence species. If HS are present as mineral surface coatings, they can increase actinide retention on these surfaces. Therefore, gaining control over redox and surface-active properties of HS through directed modification of these natural polyfunctional nanomaterials could provide for nature-like nanotechnology solutions for remediation. To elucidate the roles of the particular structural features present within natural humic macromolecules pertinent to interactions with actinides, an original approach was developed by the authors of this manuscript to design humic materials with customized properties. These “designer” HS are enriched with redox, complexing, or surface-active structural units, which in turn magnifies the desired properties of parent natural humic materials (e.g., reducing capacity) or enables the acquisition of new properties (e.g., formation of covalent bonds with mineral surfaces). This chapter explains synthetic pathways that can be used for manufacturing functional humic derivatives having the desired remedial properties. Two major types of humic derivatives are considered here: (1) those enriched with quinonoid moieties (hydroquinone and catechol units), and (2) those with incorporated alkoxysilyl groups. The data on designer humics with enhanced redox capacity and acquired mineral adhesion capacity are provided here. Particular attention is also paid to the in situ immobilization of alkoxysilyl humic derivatives on solid surfaces and the use of atomic force microscopy (AFM) to characterize the surface morphology of resultant humic nanocoatings. These stationary surfaces of humic derivatives exhibit exceptional capacities to reduce and sequester Pu(V) and Np(V). The potential for developing nature-inspired nanotechnology solutions for remediation, based on a use of humic functional derivatives and coatings, is examined. The in situ installation of humic permeable reactive barriers in an actinide-contaminated aquifer is discussed as a viable alternative remediation solution to deep subsurface radioactive plumes.