The contribution made by lattice vacancies to the Wigner effect in radiation-damaged graphite

Analysis of Heat Release Processes inside Storage Facilities Containing Irradiated Nuclear Graphite

The article is dedicated to the safety assessment of mixed storage of irradiated graphite and other types of radioactive waste accumulated during the operation of uranium-graphite reactors. The analysis of heat release processes inside storages containing irradiated nuclear graphite, representing a potential hazard due to the possible heating and, accordingly, the release of long-lived radionuclides during oxidation was carried out. The following factors were considered as the main factors that can lead to an increase in the temperature inside the storage facility: corrosion of metallic radioactive waste, the presence of fuel fragments, and also the random exposure of irradiated graphite to local sources of thermal energy (spark, etc.). It was noted in the work that the combined or separate influence of some factors can lead to an increase in the temperature of the onset of the initiation of Wigner energy release in graphite radwaste (Tin ≈ 90–100°C for the “Worst-case” graphite). The model of heat generation in the storage was developed based on the analysis of the features of graphite radioactive waste storage and Wigner energy release. The layered location of different types of waste (graphite and aluminum) and the local character of the distribution of heat sources were adopted in this model. The greatest heating is achieved if graphite radioactive waste is located near the concrete walls of the storage facility, as well as in direct contact with irradiated aluminum radioactive waste, which was shown in this paper.

Methodological Investigation for Hydrogen Addition to Small Cage Carbon Fullerenes

Hydrogenated small fullerenes (Cn, n < 60) are of interest as potential astrochemical species, and as intermediates in hydrogen-catalysed fullerene growth. However, the computational identification of key stable species is difficult due to the vast configurationally space of structures. In this study, we explored routes to predict stable hydrogenated small fullerenes. We showed that neither local fullerene geometry nor local electronic structure analysis was able to correctly predict subsequent low-energy hydrogenation sites, and sequential stable addition searches also sometimes failed to identify most stable hydrogenated fullerene isomers. Of the empirical and semi-empirical methods tested, GFN2-xTB consistently gave highly accurate energy correlations (r > 0.99) to full DFT-LDA calculations at a fraction of the computational cost. This allowed identification of the most stable hydrogenated fullerenes up to 4H for four fullerenes, namely two isomers of C28 and C40, via “brute force” systematic testing of all symmetry-inequivalent combinations. The approach shows promise for wider systematic studies of smaller hydrogenated fullerenes.

Interlayer vacancy defects in AA-stacked bilayer graphene: density functional theory predictions

AA-stacked graphite and closely related structures, where carbon atoms are located in registry in adjacent graphene layers, are a feature of graphitic systems including twisted and folded bilayer graphene, and turbostratic graphite. We present the results of ab initio density functional theory calculations performed to investigate the complexes that are formed from the binding of vacancy defects across neighbouring layers in AA-stacked bilayers. As with AB stacking, the carbon atoms surrounding lattice vacancies can form interlayer structures with sp ² bonding that are lower in energy than in-plane reconstructions. The sp ² interlayer bonding of adjacent multivacancy defects in registry creates a type of stable sp ² bonded 'wormhole' or tunnel defect between the layers. We also identify a new class of 'mezzanine' structure characterised by sp ³ interlayer bonding, resembling a prismatic vacancy loop. The V ₆ hexavacancy variant, where six sp ³ carbon atoms sit midway between two carbon layers and bond to both, is substantially more stable than any other vacancy aggregate in AA-stacked layers. Our focus is on vacancy generation and aggregation in the absence of extreme temperatures or intense beams.

The Stone-Wales transformation: from fullerenes to graphite, from radiation damage to heat capacity

The Stone-Wales (SW) transformation, or carbon-bond rotation, has been fundamental to understanding fullerene growth and stability, and ab initio calculations show it to be a high-energy process. The nature and topology of the fullerene energy landscape shows how the Ih-C60 must be the final product, if SW transformations are fast enough, and various mechanisms for their catalysis have been proposed. We review SW transformations in fullerenes and then discuss the analogous transformation in graphite, where they form the Dienes defect, originally posited to be a transition state in the direct exchange of a bonded atom pair. On the basis of density functional theory calculations in the local density approximation, we propose that non-equilibrium concentrations of the Dienes defect arising from displacing radiation are rapidly healed by point defects and that equilibrium concentrations of Dienes defects are responsible for the divergent ultra-high-temperature heat capacity of graphite.This article is part of the themed issue 'Fullerenes: past, present and future, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Buckminster Fullerene'.

Energetics of atomic scale structure changes in graphene

An overview of theoretical and experimental studies concerned with energetics of atomic scale structure changes in graphene, including thermally activated and electron irradiation-induced processes.

Extended interplanar linking in graphite formed from vacancy aggregates

The mechanical and electrical properties of graphite and related materials such as multilayer graphene depend strongly on the presence of defects in the lattice structure, particularly those which create links between adjacent planes. We present findings which suggest the existence of a new type of defect in the graphite or graphene structure which connects adjacent planes through continuous hexagonal sp2 bonding alone and can form through the aggregation of individual vacancy defects. The energetics and kinetics of the formation of this type of defect are investigated with atomistic density functional theory calculations. The resultant structures are then employed to simulate high resolution transmission electron microscopy images, which are compared to recent experimental images of electron irradiation damaged graphite.