Isolation and Reactivity of Uranyl Superoxide

The high radiation field associated with spent nuclear fuel (UIVO2) pellets produces an array of reactive radical species that impact the corrosion and formation of secondary alteration phases. Dioxygen radicals are important as radiolysis products, but the interaction between these reactive oxygen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2021-06, Vol.60 (27), p.15041-15048
Main Authors: Kravchuk, Dmytro V., Dahlen, Nicholas N., Kruse, Samantha J., Malliakas, Christos D., Shand, Paul M., Forbes, Tori Z.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Atmospheric conditions
Carbon dioxide
Nuclear fuels
oxygen radicals
Peroxide
Phases
radiation
Radioactive wastes
Radiolysis
Raman spectra
Reactive oxygen species
Spent nuclear fuels
storage
Superoxide anions
Uranium oxides
uranyl carbonate
uranyl superoxide
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Summary:The high radiation field associated with spent nuclear fuel (UIVO2) pellets produces an array of reactive radical species that impact the corrosion and formation of secondary alteration phases. Dioxygen radicals are important as radiolysis products, but the interaction between these reactive oxygen species and UVIO22+ and its effects on the resultant alteration phases is unclear. We report the first example of a UVI superoxide compound and explore its reactivity in the environments relevant to the storage of spent nuclear fuel. We utilized X‐ray diffraction and Raman scattering techniques to demonstrate that the uranyl superoxide reacts with CO2 in air to afford a mixed uranyl peroxide/carbonate within 3 days, both in solution and under atmospheric conditions. An additional transformation occurs over the course of 3 months to form a potassium UVI carbonate (grimselite), which also occurs as an alteration product on Chernobyl corium. Our results demonstrate the presence and significance of the superoxide anion in the alteration of spent nuclear fuel and indicate the impact of uranyl superoxide chemistry on high prevalence of carbonate in the secondary phases of spent nuclear fuel. A novel uranyl superoxide compound reacts with carbon dioxide resulting in uranyl carbonate phases within six days of air exposure, directly linking uranyl superoxide to the carbonate corrosion products observed on the surface of spent nuclear fuel.
ISSN:1433-7851
1521-3773
DOI:10.1002/anie.202103039