Theoretical investigation of the uranyl ion sorption on the rutile TiO2(110) face.

Canister integrity and radionuclide retention is of first importance for assessing the long-term safety of nuclear waste stored in engineered geologic depositories. Uranyl ion sorption on the TiO(2) rutile (110) face is investigated using periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations. From experimental observations, only two uranyl surface complexes are observed and characterized. When the pH increases (from 1.5 to 4.5), the relative ratios of these two surface complexes are modified. From a crystallographic point of view, three sorption sites can be considered and have been studied with different protonation states of the surface to account for very acidic and low acidic conditions. The two surface complexes experimentally observed were calculated as the most stable ones, while the evolution of their sorption energies agrees with experimental data.

Sorption of Sr(II) and Eu(III) onto pyrite under different redox potential conditions.

Understanding sorption processes is fundamental for the prediction of radionuclide migration in the surroundings of a deep geological disposal of high-level nuclear wastes. Pyrite (FeS2) is a mineral phase often present as inclusions in temperate soils. Moreover, it constitutes an indirect corrosion product of steel, a containment material that is candidate to confine radionuclides in deep geological disposals. The present study was thus initiated to determine the capacity of pyrite to immobilize Sr(II) and Eu(III). An air oxidized pyrite and a freshly acid-washed (non-oxidized) pyrite were used in background electrolytes of varying reducing-oxidizing ability (NaCl, NH3OHCl, and NaClO4) to study the sorption of both cationic species. The sorptive capacity of pyrite appeared directly correlated to the oxidation of the surface. Non-oxidized pyrite had nearly no affinity for the studied cations whereas Sr(II) and Eu(III) species were significantly retained by oxidized pyrite surface. Using the surface complexation theory, sorption mechanisms were modeled with the Fiteql v3.2 and the Jchess 2.0 codes. Sorption of both Sr and Eu was well fitted, assuming hydroxylated species as the major surface species. This study demonstrates that not only the components of a barrier but also the redox conditions and specifications should be well characterized to predict transport of contaminants in the surrounding of a nuclear wastes disposal.

Periodic density functional theory investigation of the uranyl ion sorption on the TiO2 rutile (110) face.

Periodic density functional theory calculations have been performed in order to study the uranyl ion sorption on the TiO2 rutile (110) face. From experimental measurements, two uranyl surface complexes have been observed and the two corresponding sorption sites have been identified. However, from a crystallographic point of view, three different sorption sites can be considered on this face. The corresponding three surface bidentate complexes were modeled and optimized, and their relative energies were calculated. Only 5 kJ/mol separates the two most stable structures, which correspond to the experimental ones. The third surface complex is nearly 10 kJ/mol less stable, in agreement with the fact that it was not observed experimentally.