Journal of Nuclear Science, Engineering and Technology (JONSAT)
In cooperation with the Iranian Nuclear Society

Electrochemical synthesis of urania coin-like nanoparticles in aqueous media

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

T Yousefi
R Yavari
M Ghannadi Maragheh
S.J Ahmadi
H Malek Mohammad
A Gharib
H Ghasemi Mobtaker
https://doi.org/10.24200/nst.2020.1066
Abstract
Urania nanostructures were synthesized by a facile, which is a simple and clean and straightforward deposition method, for two different deposition time durations. The morphology and structures of the products were characterized by the X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM). The SEM images indicated that the morphology of the synthesized samples for 10 minutes was composed of a coin-like structure with a nano-scale dimension in a narrow- size distribution. The results indicated that the deposition time affects the morphology while it does not affect the structure. The XRD results identified the sample structures as UO2 crystal. The chemical composition of different points of the sample surface was determined by the energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) technique and the results clarified that the samples have a homogeneous composition of uranium oxide. The synergistic properties of the substrate surface, and uranium ions are responsible for the formation of an outstanding and a novel structure.

Highlights

  1. S.V. Chong, T.R. Griffiths, H. Idriss, Ethanol reactions over the UO2(111) single crystal: effect of the Madelung potential on the reaction selectivity, Surf. Sci. 444 (2000) 187–198.
  2. H. Madhavaram, H. Idriss, Evidence of furan formation from acetaldehyde over β-UO3, Cataly. Today. 63 (2000) 309–315.
  3.  Z.T. Zhang, et al, Uniform formation of uranium oxide nanocrystals inside ordered mesoporous hosts and their potential applications as oxidative catalysts, Chem. Commun. 20 (2002) 2406–2407.
  4. W. Yong-Ming, C. Qing-De, S. Xing-Hai, Preparation of low-temperature sintered UO2 nanomaterials by radiolytic reduction of ammonium uranyl tricarbonate, Chin.Chem. Lett. 28 (2016) 168-183.
  5. M.C. Rath, S.J. Keny, D.B. Naik, Electron beam induced synthesis of uranium dioxide nanoparticles: Effect of solvent composition, Radiat. Phys. Chem.126(2016)85–89.
  6. T.M. Nenoff, et al, Synthesis and Low Temperature In Situ Sintering of Uranium Oxide Nanoparticles, Chem. Mater. 23 (2011) 5185–5190.
  7. B. Gilbert, et al, Nanoparticles: strained and stiff, Science. 305 (2004) 651– 654.
  8. D.M. Singer, F. Farges, G.E. Brown, Biogenic nanoparticulate UO2: Synthesis, characterization, and factors affecting surface reactivity, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta. 73 (2009) 3593–3611.
  9. X.W. Lou, L.A. Archer, Z.C. Yang, Hollow Micro/Nanostructures: Synthesis and Applications, Adv. Mater. 20 (2008) 3987–4019.

10. Q. Wang, et al, Synthesis of uranium oxide nanoparticles and their catalytic performance for benzyl alcohol conversion to benzaldehyde, J. Mater. Chem. 18 (2008) 1146–1152.

11. H.M. Wu, Y.G. Yang, Y.C. Cao, Synthesis of Colloidal Uranium−Dioxide Nanocrystal,  J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128 (2006) 16522–16523.

12. D. Hudry, et al., Synthesis of transuranium-based nanocrystals via the thermal decomposition of actinyl nitrates, Chem. Eur. J. 18 (2012) 8283–8287.

13. M. Pradhan, et al, Morphology controlled uranium oxide hydroxide hydrate for catalysis, luminescence and SERS studies, Cryst. Eng. Comm. 13 (2011) 2878–2889.

14. R. Zhao, et al., A facile additive-free method for tunable fabrication of UO2 and U3O8 nanoparticles in aqueous solution, Cryst. Eng. Comm. 16 (2014) 2645–2651.

15. S. Anthonysamy, et al, Combustion synthesis of urania–thoria solid solutions, Journal of nuclear materials, 278 (2000) 346-357.

16. L. Wang, et al., Template Free Synthesis and Mechanistic Study of Porous Three‐Dimensional Hierarchical Uranium‐Containing and Uranium Oxide Microspheres, Chem. Eur. J., 20 (2014) 12655–12662.

 

17. H. Yu , et al, Electrochemical Preparation of N‐Doped Cobalt Oxide Nanoparticles with High Electrocatalytic Activity for the Oxygen‐Reduction Reaction, Chemistry of European Journal, 20 (2014) 457-3462.

18. Y.-ZhaoWu, et al, Enlarged working potential window for MnO2 supercapacitors with neutral aqueous electrolyte, Applied Surface Science, 459, (2018) 430-437.

19. H. Wen, et al, Synthesis and electrochemical properties of CeO2 nanoparticle modified TiO2 nanotube arrays, Electrochimica Acta, 56 (2011) 2914-2918.

20. M. Aghazadeh, T. Yousefi, Preparation of Gd2O3 nanorods by electrodeposition–heat-treatment method, Materials Letters, 73 (2012) 176-178.

21. H.M. Shiri, et al, Electrosynthesis of Y2O3 nanoparticles and its nanocomposite with POAP as high efficient electrode materials in energy storage device: Surface, density of state and electrochemical investigation, Solid State Ionics,  338, (2019) 87-95.

22. T. Yousefi, et al, Electrodeposition of Fe2O3 nanoparticles and its supercapacitive properties, Curr. Appl. Phys. 12 (2012) 544-549.

23. T. Yousefi, et al, Electrochemical supercapacitive performance of potentiostatically cathodic electrodeposited nanostructured MnO2 films, Mater. Sci. Semicond. Process. 16 (2013) 868–876.

24. T. Yousefi, et al, Hausmannite nanorods prepared by electrodeposition from nitrate medium via electrogeneration of base, J. Taiwan Inst. Chem. Eng. 43 (2012) 614–618.

25. Q. Zhang, et al, CuO nanostructures: Synthesis, characterization, growth mechanisms, fundamental properties, and applications, Prog. Mater. Sci.  60 (2014) 208-337.

26. T. Yousefi, et al, Facile synthesis, morphology and structure of Dy2O3nanoparticles through electrochemical precipitation, Rare Met. 35 (8) (2016) 637–642.

27. J. Yang, et al., Formation of two-dimensional transition metal oxide nanosheets with nanoparticles as Intermediates, Nature Materials, (2019 inpress).

Keywords

Coin- like nanostructure
Urania
Deposition
  1. S.V. Chong, T.R. Griffiths, H. Idriss, Ethanol reactions over the UO2(111) single crystal: effect of the Madelung potential on the reaction selectivity, Surf. Sci. 444 (2000) 187–198.
  2. H. Madhavaram, H. Idriss, Evidence of furan formation from acetaldehyde over β-UO3, Cataly. Today. 63 (2000) 309–315.
  3.  Z.T. Zhang, et al, Uniform formation of uranium oxide nanocrystals inside ordered mesoporous hosts and their potential applications as oxidative catalysts, Chem. Commun. 20 (2002) 2406–2407.
  4. W. Yong-Ming, C. Qing-De, S. Xing-Hai, Preparation of low-temperature sintered UO2 nanomaterials by radiolytic reduction of ammonium uranyl tricarbonate, Chin.Chem. Lett. 28 (2016) 168-183.
  5. M.C. Rath, S.J. Keny, D.B. Naik, Electron beam induced synthesis of uranium dioxide nanoparticles: Effect of solvent composition, Radiat. Phys. Chem.126(2016)85–89.
  6. T.M. Nenoff, et al, Synthesis and Low Temperature In Situ Sintering of Uranium Oxide Nanoparticles, Chem. Mater. 23 (2011) 5185–5190.
  7. B. Gilbert, et al, Nanoparticles: strained and stiff, Science. 305 (2004) 651– 654.
  8. D.M. Singer, F. Farges, G.E. Brown, Biogenic nanoparticulate UO2: Synthesis, characterization, and factors affecting surface reactivity, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta. 73 (2009) 3593–3611.
  9. X.W. Lou, L.A. Archer, Z.C. Yang, Hollow Micro/Nanostructures: Synthesis and Applications, Adv. Mater. 20 (2008) 3987–4019.

10. Q. Wang, et al, Synthesis of uranium oxide nanoparticles and their catalytic performance for benzyl alcohol conversion to benzaldehyde, J. Mater. Chem. 18 (2008) 1146–1152.

11. H.M. Wu, Y.G. Yang, Y.C. Cao, Synthesis of Colloidal Uranium−Dioxide Nanocrystal,  J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128 (2006) 16522–16523.

12. D. Hudry, et al., Synthesis of transuranium-based nanocrystals via the thermal decomposition of actinyl nitrates, Chem. Eur. J. 18 (2012) 8283–8287.

13. M. Pradhan, et al, Morphology controlled uranium oxide hydroxide hydrate for catalysis, luminescence and SERS studies, Cryst. Eng. Comm. 13 (2011) 2878–2889.

14. R. Zhao, et al., A facile additive-free method for tunable fabrication of UO2 and U3O8 nanoparticles in aqueous solution, Cryst. Eng. Comm. 16 (2014) 2645–2651.

15. S. Anthonysamy, et al, Combustion synthesis of urania–thoria solid solutions, Journal of nuclear materials, 278 (2000) 346-357.

16. L. Wang, et al., Template Free Synthesis and Mechanistic Study of Porous Three‐Dimensional Hierarchical Uranium‐Containing and Uranium Oxide Microspheres, Chem. Eur. J., 20 (2014) 12655–12662.

 

17. H. Yu , et al, Electrochemical Preparation of N‐Doped Cobalt Oxide Nanoparticles with High Electrocatalytic Activity for the Oxygen‐Reduction Reaction, Chemistry of European Journal, 20 (2014) 457-3462.

18. Y.-ZhaoWu, et al, Enlarged working potential window for MnO2 supercapacitors with neutral aqueous electrolyte, Applied Surface Science, 459, (2018) 430-437.

19. H. Wen, et al, Synthesis and electrochemical properties of CeO2 nanoparticle modified TiO2 nanotube arrays, Electrochimica Acta, 56 (2011) 2914-2918.

20. M. Aghazadeh, T. Yousefi, Preparation of Gd2O3 nanorods by electrodeposition–heat-treatment method, Materials Letters, 73 (2012) 176-178.

21. H.M. Shiri, et al, Electrosynthesis of Y2O3 nanoparticles and its nanocomposite with POAP as high efficient electrode materials in energy storage device: Surface, density of state and electrochemical investigation, Solid State Ionics,  338, (2019) 87-95.

22. T. Yousefi, et al, Electrodeposition of Fe2O3 nanoparticles and its supercapacitive properties, Curr. Appl. Phys. 12 (2012) 544-549.

23. T. Yousefi, et al, Electrochemical supercapacitive performance of potentiostatically cathodic electrodeposited nanostructured MnO2 films, Mater. Sci. Semicond. Process. 16 (2013) 868–876.

24. T. Yousefi, et al, Hausmannite nanorods prepared by electrodeposition from nitrate medium via electrogeneration of base, J. Taiwan Inst. Chem. Eng. 43 (2012) 614–618.

25. Q. Zhang, et al, CuO nanostructures: Synthesis, characterization, growth mechanisms, fundamental properties, and applications, Prog. Mater. Sci.  60 (2014) 208-337.

26. T. Yousefi, et al, Facile synthesis, morphology and structure of Dy2O3nanoparticles through electrochemical precipitation, Rare Met. 35 (8) (2016) 637–642.

27. J. Yang, et al., Formation of two-dimensional transition metal oxide nanosheets with nanoparticles as Intermediates, Nature Materials, (2019 inpress).

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