The interactions of the long-lived actinide neptunium with the corrosion product zirconia (ZrO) have to be considered in the safety assessment of a repository for radioactive waste. The sorption of Np(V) on ZrO was investigated in the absence of carbonate at the macroscopic and molecular scale. At the macroscopic level, the Np(V) uptake was independent of ionic strength and the isoelectric point of the pristine zirconia was increased, both suggesting the presence of inner-sphere Np(V) surface complexes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEtidronic acid (1-Hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid, HEDP, HL) is a proposed decorporation agent for U(VI). This paper studied its complex formation with Eu(III), an inactive analog of trivalent actinides, over a wide pH range, at varying metal-to-ligand ratios (M:L) and total concentrations. Combining spectroscopic, spectrometric, and quantum chemical methods, five distinct Eu(III)-HEDP complexes were found, four of which were characterized.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aquatic species of U(iv) in acidic aqueous solution in the presence of sulfate were studied in the micromolar range by a combined approach of optical spectroscopy (UV/vis and mid-IR), quantum-chemical calculations (QCC), and thermodynamic modelling. The number of species occurring in solution within the pH range 0-2 was assessed by decomposition and fitting of photometric spectra using HypSpec and Geochemist's Workbench software. Single component spectra of U, UOH, USO and U(SO) were obtained and extinction coefficients ε were calculated to be 61.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA comprehensive molecular analysis of a simple aqueous complexing system-U(VI) acetate-selected to be independently investigated by various spectroscopic (vibrational, luminescence, X-ray absorption, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) and quantum chemical methods was achieved by an international round-robin test (RRT). Twenty laboratories from six different countries with a focus on actinide or geochemical research participated and contributed to this scientific endeavor. The outcomes of this RRT were considered on two levels of complexity: first, within each technical discipline, conformities as well as discrepancies of the results and their sources were evaluated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGallium (Ga) is a critical element in developing renewable energy generation and energy efficient systems. The supply of Ga is at risk and needed recycling technologies for its availability in future. This study demonstrated the recovery of Ga from low gallium concentrated wafer fabrication industry wastewaters using the siderophores desferrioxamine B (DFOB) and desferrioxamine E (DFOE).
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