  Starting from a recent model of the eta'N interaction, we evaluate the
eta'-nucleus optical potential, including the contribution of lowest order in
density, t rho/2m_eta', together with the second order terms accounting for
eta' absorption by two nucleons. We also calculate the formation cross section
of the eta' bound states from (pi+,p) reactions on nuclei. The eta'-nucleus
potential suffers from uncertainties tied to the poorly known eta'N
interaction, which can be partially constrained by the experimental modulus of
the eta'N scattering length and/or the recently measured transparency ratios in
eta' nuclear photoproduction. Assuming an attractive interaction and taking the
claimed experimental value |a_eta'N| = 0.1 fm, we obtain a eta' optical
potential in nuclear matter at saturation density of V_eta' = -(8.7 + 1.8i)
MeV, not attractive enough to produce eta' bound states in light nuclei. Larger
values of the scattering length give rise to deeper optical potentials, with
moderate enough imaginary parts. For a value |a_eta'| = 0.3 fm, which can still
be considered to lie within the uncertainties of the experimental constraints,
the spectra of light and medium nuclei show clear structures associated to
eta'-nuclear bound states and to threshold enhancements in the unbound region.
