| 1. |
- Amidani, Lucia, et al.
(författare)
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Understanding the size effects on the electronic structure of ThO2 nanoparticles
- 2019
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Ingår i: Physical Chemistry, Chemical Physics - PCCP. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1463-9076 .- 1463-9084. ; 21:20, s. 10635-10643
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Developing characterization techniques and analysis methods adapted to the investigation of nanoparticles (NPs) is of fundamental importance considering the role of these materials in many fields of research. The study of actinide based NPs, despite their environmental relevance, is still underdeveloped compared to that of NPs based on stable and lighter elements. We present here an investigation of ThO2 NPs performed with High-Energy Resolution Fluorescence Detected (HERFD) X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure (XANES) and with ab initio XANES simulations. The first post-edge feature of Th L-3 edge HERFD XANES disappears in small NPs and simulations considering non-relaxed structural models reproduce the trends observed in experimental data. Inspection of the simulations of Th atoms in the core and on the surface of the NP indeed demonstrates that the first post-edge feature is very sensitive to the lowering of the number of coordinating atoms and therefore to the more exposed Th atoms at the surface of the NP. The sensitivity of the L-3 edge HERFD XANES to low coordinated atoms at the surface stems from the hybridization of the d-Density of States (DOS) of Th with both O and Th neighboring atoms. This may be a common feature to other oxide systems that can be exploited to investigate surface interactions.
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| 2. |
- Boulanger, Nicolas, et al.
(författare)
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Enhanced Sorption of Radionuclides by Defect-Rich Graphene Oxide
- 2020
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Ingår i: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1944-8244 .- 1944-8252. ; 12:40, s. 45122-45135
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Extremely defect graphene oxide (dGO) is proposed as an advanced sorbent for treatment of radioactive waste and contaminated natural waters. dGO prepared using a modified Hummers oxidation procedure, starting from reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as a precursor, shows significantly higher sorption of U(VI), Am(III), and Eu(III) than standard graphene oxides (GOs). Earlier studies revealed the mechanism of radionuclide sorption related to defects in GO sheets. Therefore, explosive thermal exfoliation of graphite oxide was used to prepare rGO with a large number of defects and holes. Defects and holes are additionally introduced by Hummers oxidation of rGO, thus providing an extremely defect-rich material. Analysis of characterization by XPS, TGA, and FTIR shows that dGO oxygen functionalization is predominantly related to defects, such as flake edges and edge atoms of holes, whereas standard GO exhibits oxygen functional groups mostly on the planar surface. The high abundance of defects in dGO results in a 15-fold increase in sorption capacity of U(VI) compared to that in standard Hummers GO. The improved sorption capacity of dGO is related to abundant carboxylic group attached hole edge atoms of GO flakes as revealed by synchrotron-based extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and high-energy resolution fluorescence detected X-ray absorption near edge structure (HERFD-XANES) spectroscopy.
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| 3. |
- Boulanger, Nicolas, et al.
(författare)
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High Surface Area "3D Graphene Oxide" for Enhanced Sorption of Radionuclides
- 2022
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Ingår i: Advanced Materials Interfaces. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2196-7350. ; 9:18
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Here preparation of high surface area activated reduced graphene oxide (arGO) oxidized into a 3D analogue of defect-rich GO (dGO) is reported. Surface oxidation of arGO results in carbon to oxygen ratio C/O = 3.3, similar to the oxidation state of graphene oxide while preserving high BET surface area of about 880 m2 g−1. Analysis of surface oxidized arGO shows high abundance of oxygen functional groups which converts hydrophobic precursor into hydrophilic material. High surface area carbons provide the whole surface for oxidation without the need of intercalation and lattice expansion. Therefore, surface oxidation methods are sufficient to convert the materials into 3D architectures with chemical properties similar to graphene oxide. The "3D graphene oxide" shows high sorption capacity for U(VI) removal in an extraordinary broad interval of pH. Notably, the surface oxidized carbon material has a rigid 3D structure with micropores accessible for penetration of radionuclide ions. Therefore, the bulk "3D GO" can be used as a sorbent directly without dispersing, the step required for GO to make its surface area accessible for pollutants.
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| 4. |
- Boulanger, Nicolas, et al.
(författare)
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Super-oxidized “activated graphene” as 3D analogue of defect graphene oxide : oxidation degree vs U(VI) sorption
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Hazardous Materials. - : Elsevier. - 0304-3894 .- 1873-3336. ; 457
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Porous carbons are not favorable for sorption of heavy metals and radionuclides due to absence of suitable binding sites. In this study we explored the limits for surface oxidation of “activated graphene” (AG), porous carbon material with the specific surface area of ∼2700 m2/g produced by activation of reduced graphene oxide (GO). Set of “Super-Oxidized Activated Graphene” (SOAG) materials with high abundance of carboxylic groups on the surface were produced using “soft” oxidation. High degree of oxidation comparable to standard GO (C/O=2.3) was achieved while keeping 3D porous structure with specific surface area of ∼700–800 m2/. The decrease in surface area is related to the oxidation-driven collapse of mesopores while micropores showed higher stability. The increase in the oxidation degree of SOAG is found to result in progressively higher sorption of U(VI), mostly related to the increase in abundance of carboxylic groups. The SOAG demonstrated extraordinarily high sorption of U(VI) with the maximal capacity up to 5400 μmol/g, that is 8.4 – fold increase compared to non-oxidized precursor AG, ∼50 –fold increase compared to standard graphene oxide and twice higher than extremely defect-rich graphene oxide. The trends revealed here show a way to further increase sorption if similar oxidation degree is achieved with smaller sacrifice of surface area.
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| 5. |
- Gerber, Evgeny, et al.
(författare)
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Insight into the structure-property relationship of UO2 nanoparticles
- 2021
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Ingår i: Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2052-1545 .- 2052-1553. ; 8:4, s. 1102-1110
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Highly crystalline UO2 nanoparticles (NPs) with sizes of 2–3 nm were produced by fast chemical deposition of uranium(IV) under reducing conditions at pH 8–11. The particles were then characterized by microscopy and spectroscopy techniques including high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-energy resolution fluorescence detection (HERFD) X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the U M4 edge and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy at the U L3 edge. The results of this investigation show that despite U(IV) being the dominant oxidation state of the freshly prepared UO2 NPs, they oxidize to U4O9 with time and under the X-ray beam, indicating the high reactivity of U(IV) under these conditions. Moreover, it was found that the oxidation process of NPs is accompanied by their growth in size to 6 nm. We highlight here the major differences and similarities of the UO2 NP properties to PuO2, ThO2 and CeO2 NPs.
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| 6. |
- Gerber, Evgeny, et al.
(författare)
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The missing pieces of the PuO2 nanoparticle puzzle
- 2020
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Ingår i: Nanoscale. - : ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY. - 2040-3364 .- 2040-3372. ; 12:35, s. 18039-18048
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The nanoscience field often produces results more mystifying than any other discipline. It has been argued that changes in the plutonium dioxide (PuO2) particle size from bulk to nano can have a drastic effect on PuO2 properties. Here we report a full characterization of PuO2 nanoparticles (NPs) at the atomic level and probe their local and electronic structures by a variety of methods available at the synchrotron, including extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) at the Pu L-3 edge, X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) in high energy resolution fluorescence detection (HERFD) mode at the Pu L-3 and M-4 edges, high energy X-ray scattering (HEXS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The particles were synthesized from precursors with different oxidation states of plutonium (III, IV, and V) under various environmentally and waste storage relevant conditions (pH 8 and pH > 10). Our experimental results analyzed with state-of-the-art theoretical approaches demonstrate that well dispersed, crystalline NPs with a size of similar to 2.5 nm in diameter are always formed in spite of diverse chemical conditions. Identical crystal structures and the presence of only the Pu(IV) oxidation state in all NPs, reported here for the first time, indicate that the structure of PuO2 NPs is very similar to that of the bulk PuO2. All methods give complementary information and show that investigated fundamental properties of PuO2 NPs, rather than being exotic, are very similar to those of the bulk PuO2.
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| 7. |
- Gerber, Evgeny, et al.
(författare)
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To form or not to form : PuO2 nanoparticles at acidic pH
- 2022
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Ingår i: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-NANO. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 2051-8153 .- 2051-8161. ; 9:4, s. 1509-1518
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study is to synthesize PuO2 nanoparticles (NPs) at low pH values and characterize the materials using laboratory and synchrotron-based methods. Properties of the PuO2 NPs formed under acidic conditions (pH 1-4) are explored here at the atomic scale. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) is applied to characterize the crystallinity, morphology and size of the particles. It is found that 2 nm crystalline NPs are formed with a PuO2 crystal structure. High energy resolution fluorescence detected (HERFD) X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Pu M-4 edge has been used to identify the Pu oxidation states and recorded data are analysed using the theory based on the Anderson impurity model (AIM). The experimental data obtained on NPs show that the Pu(iv) oxidation state dominates in all NPs formed at pH 1-4. However, the suspension at pH 1 demonstrates the presence of Pu(iii) and Pu(vi) in addition to the Pu(iv), which is associated with redox dissolution of PuO2 NPs under acidic conditions. We discuss in detail the mechanism that affects the PuO2 NPs synthesis under acidic conditions and compare it with one in neutral and alkaline conditions. Hence, the results shown here, together with the first Pu M-4 HERFD data on PuF3 and PuF4 compounds, are significant for the colloid facilitated transport governing the migration of plutonium in a subsurface environment.
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| 8. |
- Kuzenkova, Anastasiia S., et al.
(författare)
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New insights into the mechanism of graphene oxide and radionuclideinteraction
- 2020
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Ingår i: Carbon. - : Elsevier. - 0008-6223 .- 1873-3891. ; 158, s. 291-302
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The sorption of U(VI), Am(III)/Eu(III) and Cs(I) radionuclides by graphene oxides (GOs) synthesized byHummers’s, Brodie’s and Tour’s methods was studied through a combination of batch experiments withcharacterization by microscopic and spectroscopic techniques such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), attenuated total reflection fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), high-energy resolutionfluorescence detected X-Ray absorption spectroscopy (HERFD-XANES), extended X-ray absorptionfine structure (EXAFS) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Remarkablydifferent sorption capacity and affinity of radionuclides was found towards GOs synthesized by Hummers’sand Brodie’s methods reflecting different structure and oxidation state of these materials.Mechanism underlying GO e radionuclide interaction is determined using variety of experimentaltechniques. For the first time it is shown here that GO - radionuclides interaction takes place on the smallholes or vacancy defects in the GO sheets. Mechanism of GO’s interaction with radionuclides wasanalyzed and specific functional groups responsible for this interaction were identified. Therefore, a newstrategy to produce improved materials with high capacity for radionuclides suggests the use perforatedand highly defected GO with a larger proportion of carboxylic functional groups.
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| 9. |
- Kvashnina, Kristina O., et al.
(författare)
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A Novel Metastable Pentavalent Plutonium Solid Phase on the Pathway from Aqueous Plutonium(VI) to PuO2 Nanoparticles
- 2019
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Ingår i: Angewandte Chemie International Edition. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1433-7851 .- 1521-3773. ; 58:49, s. 17558-17562
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Here we provide evidence that the formation of PuO2 nanoparticles from oxidized PuVI under alkaline conditions proceeds through the formation of an intermediate PuV solid phase, similar to NH4PuO2CO3, which is stable over a period of several months. For the first time, state‐of‐the‐art experiments at Pu M4 and at L3 absorption edges combined with theoretical calculations unambiguously allow to determine the oxidation state and the local structure of this intermediate phase.
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| 10. |
- Plakhova, Tatiana V., et al.
(författare)
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Towards the surface hydroxyl species in CeO2 nanoparticles
- 2019
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Ingår i: Nanoscale. - : ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY. - 2040-3364 .- 2040-3372. ; 11:39, s. 18142-18149
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Understanding the complex chemistry of functional nanomaterials is of fundamental importance. Controlled synthesis and characterization at the atomic level is essential to gain deeper insight into the unique chemical reactivity exhibited by many nanomaterials. Cerium oxide nanoparticles have many industrial and commercial applications, resulting from very strong catalytic, pro- and anti-oxidant activity. However, the identity of the active species and the chemical mechanisms imparted by nanoceria remain elusive, impeding the further development of new applications. Here, we explore the behavior of cerium oxide nanoparticles of different sizes at different temperatures and trace the electronic structure changes by state-of-the-art soft and hard X-ray experiments combined with computational methods. We confirm the absence of the Ce(III) oxidation state at the surface of CeO2 nanoparticles, even for particles as small as 2 nm. Synchrotron X-ray absorption experiments at Ce L-3 and M-5 edges, combined with X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and theoretical calculations demonstrate that in addition to the nanoceria charge stability, the formation of hydroxyl groups at the surface profoundly affects the chemical performance of these nanomaterials.
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