Compared to other actinocenes such as uranocene, plutonocene has been studied to a lesser degree since the 1980s due to the notable radiation hazard posed by the compound.

[3][4] The cyclooctatetraenide rings are eclipsed and assume a planar conformation with 8 equivalent C–C bonds of 1.41 Å length; the molecule possesses a centre of inversion at the position occupied by the plutonium atom.

[2][4][5] Plutonocene was first synthesized in 1970 form the reaction of tetraethylammonium hexachloroplutonate(IV) ([N(C2H5)4]2PuCl6) with dipotassium cyclooctatetraenide (K2(C8H8)) in THF at room temperature:[1][2] This approach is different compared to the synthesis of other actinocenes which usually involves the reaction of the actinide tetrachloride AnCl4 with K2(C8H8); this is not possible in the case of plutonium, as no stable plutonium(IV) chloride species is known.

All three compounds are insensitive to water or dilute aqueous base, but are air-sensitive and react quickly to form oxides.

[1][2][3] They are only slightly soluble (with saturation concentrations of about 10−3 M) in aromatic or chlorinated solvents such as benzene, toluene, carbon tetrachloride or chloroform.