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Title: Pertechnetate/perrhenate–capped Zr/Hf–Dihydroxide Dimers: Elucidating Zr–TcO4 Co–Mobility in the Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Journal Article · · Chemistry - A European Journal

Abstract Spent nuclear fuel contains heavy element fission products that must be separated for effective reprocessing for a safe and sustainable nuclear fuel cycle. 93 Zr and 99 Tc are high‐yield fission products that co‐transport in liquid‐liquid extraction processes. Here we seek atomic‐level information of this co‐extraction process, as well as fundamental knowledge about Zr IV (and Hf IV ) aqueous speciation in the presence of topology‐directing ligands such as pertechnetate (TcO 4 ) and non‐radioactive surrogate perrhenate (ReO 4 ). In this context, we show that the flat tetrameric oxyhydroxyl‐cluster [M IV 4 (OH) 8 (H 2 O) 16 ] 8+ (and related polymers) is dissociated by perrhenate/pertechnetate to yield isostructural dimers, M 2 (OH) 2 (XO 4 ) 6 (H 2 O) 6  ⋅ 3H 2 O (M=Zr/Hf IV ; X=Re/Tc VII ), elucidated by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. We used these model compounds to understand the pervasive 93 Zr‐ 99 Tc coextraction with further speciation studies in water, nitric acid, and tetrabutylphosphate (TBP) ‐kerosene; where the latter two media are relevant to nuclear fuel reprocessing. SAXS (small angle X‐ray scattering), compositional evaluation, and where experimentally feasible, ESI‐MS (electrospray ionization mass spectrometry) showed that perrhenate/pertechnetate influence Zr/Hf IV ‐speciation in water. In Zr‐XO 4 solvent extraction studies to simulate fuel reprocessing, we provide evidence that TcO 4 enhances extraction of Zr IV , and compositional analysis of the extracted metal‐complexes (Zr‐ReO 4 study) is consistent with the crystallized Zr IV 2 (OH) 2 (Re VII O 4 ) 6 (H 2 O) 6 ⋅dimer.

Research Organization:
University of Notre Dame, IN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); Murdock Charitable Trust
Grant/Contract Number:
NA0003763; SR-2017297
OSTI ID:
2279027
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 2274837
Journal Information:
Chemistry - A European Journal, Vol. 30, Issue 10; ISSN 0947-6539
Publisher:
WileyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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