Cr²⁺ solid solution in UO₂ evidenced by advanced spectroscopy.

ABSTRACT: Advanced Cr-doped UO₂ fuels are essential for driving safe and efficient generation of nuclear energy. Although widely deployed, little is known about their fundamental chemistry, which is a critical gap for development of new fuel materials and radioactive waste management strategies. Utilising an original approach, we directly evidence the chemistry of Cr⁽³⁺⁾₂O₃-doped U⁽⁴⁺⁾O₂. Advanced high-flux, high-spectral purity X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), corroborated by diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and high energy resolved fluorescence detection-XAS, is used to establish that Cr²⁺ directly substitutes for U⁴⁺, accompanied by U⁵⁺ and oxygen vacancy charge compensation. Extension of the ana

SUBMITTER: Smith H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9814952 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature