X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopic study of uranium nitrides

• Published in: Journal of radioanalytical and nuclear chemistry 2012-06, Vol.292 (3), p.989-994
• Main Authors: Poineau, Frederic, Yeamans, Charles B., Silva, G. W. C., Cerefice, Gary S., Sattelberger, Alfred P., Czerwinski, Kenneth R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ABSORPTION; Analysis; ATOMS; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Diagnostic Radiology; FINE STRUCTURE; Hadrons; Heavy Ions; Inorganic Chemistry; Nitrides; NITROGEN; Nuclear Chemistry; Nuclear Physics; Physical Chemistry; RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY; SPECTROSCOPY; URANIUM; URANIUM NITRIDES
• ISSN: 0236-5731; 1588-2780
• DOI: 10.1007/s10967-011-1551-7

Uranium mononitride (UN), sesquinitride (U 2 N 3 ) and dinitride (UN 2 ) were characterized by extended X-Ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. Analysis on UN indicate the presence of three uranium shells at distances of 3.46(3), 4.89(5) and 6.01(6) Å and a nitrogen shell at a distance of 2.46(2) Å. For U 2 N 3 , two absorbing uranium atoms at different crystallographic positions are present in the structure. One of the uranium atoms is surrounded by nitrogen atoms at 2.28(2) Å and by uranium atoms at 3.66(4) and 3.95(4) Å. The second type of uranium atom is surrounded by nitrogen atoms at 2.33(2) and 2.64(3) Å and by uranium atoms at 3.66(4), 3.95(4) and 5.31(5) Å. Results on UN 2 indicate two uranium shells at 3.71(4) and 5.32(5) Å and two nitrogen shells at 2.28(2) and 4.34(4) Å. The lattice parameters of UN, U 2 N 3 and UN 2 unit cells were respectively determined to be 4.89(5), 10.62(10) and 5.32(5) Å. Those results are well in agreement with those obtained by X-Ray diffraction analysis.