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Zhang X, Bo T, Huang ZW, Zhou ZH, Hu KQ, Shi WQ, Mei L. Exploring the Valence Diversity of Uranium by Flux Growth of Uranium Silicate under Inert Atmosphere. Inorg Chem 2024; 63:5281-5293. [PMID: 38430109 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.4c00497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
The attributes of good solubility and the redox-neutral nature of molten salt fluxes enable them to be useful for the synthesis of novel crystalline actinide compounds. In this work, a flux growth method under an inert atmosphere is proposed to explore the valence diversity of uranium, and a series of five uranium silicate structures, [K3Cl][(UVIO2)(Si4O10)] (1), Cs3[(UVO2)(Si4O10)] (2), K2[UIV(Si2O7)] (3), K8[(UVIO2)(UVO2)2(Si8O22)] (4), and Cs6[UIV(UVO)2(Si12O32)] (5), were synthesized using different metal halide salt and feeding U/Si ratios. Crystal structure analysis reveals that the utilization of argon atmosphere that helps to avoid possible oxidation of low-valence uranium generates a variety of oxidation states of uranium including U(VI), U(V), U(IV), mixed-valence U(V) and U(VI), and mixed-valence U(IV) and U(V). Characterization of physicochemical properties of representative compounds shows that all these uranium silicate compounds have bandgaps among the range of 2.0-3.4 eV, and mixed-valence uranium silicate compounds have relatively narrower bandgaps. Density functional theory calculations on formation enthalpies, lattice energies, and bandgaps of all five compounds were also performed to provide more structural information about these uranium silicates. This work enriches the library of variable-valence uranium silicate compounds and provides a feasible way to produce novel actinide compounds with intriguing properties through the flux growth method that might show potential application in relevant fields such as storage media for nuclear waste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Zhang
- College of Nuclear Science and Technology, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China
- Laboratory of Nuclear Energy Chemistry, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Tao Bo
- Engineering Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, China
| | - Zhi-Wei Huang
- Laboratory of Nuclear Energy Chemistry, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhi-Heng Zhou
- Laboratory of Nuclear Energy Chemistry, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Kong-Qiu Hu
- Laboratory of Nuclear Energy Chemistry, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wei-Qun Shi
- College of Nuclear Science and Technology, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China
- Laboratory of Nuclear Energy Chemistry, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lei Mei
- Laboratory of Nuclear Energy Chemistry, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Ferrier MG, Childs BC, Silva CM, Greenough MM, Moore EE, Erickson KA, Monreal MJ, Colla CA, Marple MAT, Winston LD, Burks JN, Martin AA, Jeffries JR, Holliday KS. Laser-Induced Thermal Decomposition of Uranium Coordination Compounds with Non-oxidic Ligands to Produce Nitride and Carbide Materials. Inorg Chem 2024; 63:1938-1946. [PMID: 38232376 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c03591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
The production of ceramics from uranium coordination compounds can be achieved through thermal processing if an excess amount of the desired atoms (i.e., C or N), or reactive gaseous products (e.g., methane or nitrogen oxide) is made available to the reactive uranium metal core via decomposition/fragmentation of the surrounding ligand groups. Here, computational thermodynamic approaches were utilized to identify the temperatures necessary to produce uranium metal from some starting compounds─UI4(TMEDA)2, UCl4(TMEDA)2, UCl3(pyridine)x, and UI3(pyridine)4. Experimentally, precursors were irradiated by a laser under various gaseous environments (argon, nitrogen, and methane) creating extreme reaction conditions (i.e., fast heating, high temperature profile >2000 °C, and rapid cooling). Despite the fast dynamics associated with laser irradiation, the central uranium atom reacted with the thermal decomposition products of the ligands yielding uranium ceramics. Residual gas analysis identified vaporized products from the laser irradiation, and the final ceramic products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction. The composition of the uranium precursor as well as the gaseous environment had a direct impact on the production of the final phases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryline G Ferrier
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Bradley C Childs
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Chinthaka M Silva
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Michelle M Greenough
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Emily E Moore
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Karla A Erickson
- Chemical, Earth and Life Sciences Directorate, Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1663, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
| | - Marisa J Monreal
- Chemical, Earth and Life Sciences Directorate, Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1663, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, United States
| | - Christopher A Colla
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Maxwell A T Marple
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Logan D Winston
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Janae N Burks
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
- Spelman College, 350 Spelman Ln SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30314, United States
| | - Aiden A Martin
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Jason R Jeffries
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Kiel S Holliday
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
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Ferrier MG, Childs BC, Silva CM, Greenough MM, Moore EE, Swift AJ, Di Pietro SA, Martin AA, Jeffries JR, Holliday KS. Unconventional Pathways to Carbide Phase Synthesis via Thermal Decomposition of UI 4(1,4-dioxane) 2. Inorg Chem 2022; 61:17579-17589. [PMID: 36269886 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c02590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
UI4(1,4-dioxane)2 was subjected to laser-based heating─a method that enables localized, fast heating (T > 2000 °C) and rapid cooling under controlled conditions (scan rate, power, atmosphere, etc.)─to understand its thermal decomposition. A predictive computational thermodynamic technique estimated the decomposition temperature of UI4(1,4-dioxane)2 to uranium (U) metal to be 2236 °C, a temperature achievable under laser irradiation. Dictated by the presence of reactive, gaseous byproducts, the thermal decomposition of UI4(1,4-dioxane)2 under furnace conditions up to 600 °C revealed the formation of UO2, UIx, and U(C1-xOx)y, while under laser irradiation, UI4(1,4-dioxane)2 decomposed to UO2, U(C1-xOx)y, UC2-zOz, and UC. Despite the fast dynamics associated with laser irradiation, the central uranium atom reacted with the thermal decomposition products of the ligand (1,4-dioxane = C4H8O2) instead of producing pure U metal. The results highlight the potential to co-develop uranium precursors with specific irradiation procedures to advance nuclear materials research by finding new pathways to produce uranium carbide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryline G Ferrier
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Bradley C Childs
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Chinthaka M Silva
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Michelle M Greenough
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Emily E Moore
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Andrew J Swift
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Silvina A Di Pietro
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Aiden A Martin
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Jason R Jeffries
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Kiel S Holliday
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
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Childs BC, Martin AA, Moore EE, Heo TW, Perron A, Schaeffer-Cuellar C, Swift AJ, Silva CM, Holliday KS, Jeffries JR. Laser-induced thermal decomposition of uranium triiodide and ammonium uranium fluoride. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10967-021-07888-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Britvin SN, Pekov IV, Yapaskurt VO, Koshlyakova NN, Göttlicher J, Krivovichev SV, Turchkova AG, Sidorov EG. Polyoxometalate chemistry at volcanoes: discovery of a novel class of polyoxocuprate nanoclusters in fumarolic minerals. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6345. [PMID: 32286401 PMCID: PMC7156706 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63109-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyoxometalate (POM) chemistry is an important avenue of comprehensive chemical research, due to the broad chemical, topological and structural variations of multinuclear polyoxoanions that result in advanced functionality of their derivatives. The majority of compounds in the polyoxometalate kingdom are synthesized under laboratory conditions. However, Nature has its own labs with the conditions often unconceivable to the mankind. The striking example of such a unique environment is volcanic fumaroles – the natural factories of gas-transport synthesis. We herein report on the discovery of a novel class of complex polyoxocuprates grown in the hot active fumaroles of the Tolbachik volcano at the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. The cuboctahedral nanoclusters {[MCu12O8](AsO4)8} are stabilized by the core Fe(III) or Ti(IV) cations residing in the unique cubic coordination. The nanoclusters are uniformly dispersed over the anion- and cation-deficient NaCl matrix. Our discovery might have promising implications for synthetic chemistry, indicating the possibility of preparation of complex polyoxocuprates by chemical vapor transport (CVT) techniques that emulate formation of minerals in high-temperature volcanic fumaroles.
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Affiliation(s)
- S N Britvin
- Department of Crystallography, Institute of Earth Sciences, St. Petersburg State University, University Embankment 7/9, 199034, St Petersburg, Russia.,Kola Science Center of Russian Academy of Sciences, Fersman Str. 14, 184200, Apatity, Russia
| | - I V Pekov
- Faculty of Geology, Moscow State University, Vorobievy Gory, 119991, Moscow, Russia
| | - V O Yapaskurt
- Faculty of Geology, Moscow State University, Vorobievy Gory, 119991, Moscow, Russia
| | - N N Koshlyakova
- Faculty of Geology, Moscow State University, Vorobievy Gory, 119991, Moscow, Russia
| | - J Göttlicher
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute for Synchrotron Radiation, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, D-, 76344, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - S V Krivovichev
- Department of Crystallography, Institute of Earth Sciences, St. Petersburg State University, University Embankment 7/9, 199034, St Petersburg, Russia. .,Kola Science Center of Russian Academy of Sciences, Fersman Str. 14, 184200, Apatity, Russia.
| | - A G Turchkova
- Faculty of Geology, Moscow State University, Vorobievy Gory, 119991, Moscow, Russia
| | - E G Sidorov
- Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Piip Boulevard 9, 683006, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia
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