Stable Uranium Oxide Under Atmospheric Conditions: An Electroplating Technique for U Film Fabrication at Boron-Doped Diamond Electrodes

An electrodeposition technique of low-enriched uraniumonto boron-dopeddiamond (BDD) electrodes for uranium electro-assembling, sequestration,uranium electrowinning (as the electroextraction alternative), andfuture neutron detection applications has been developed. Our findingsthrough physicochemical characterization and an in-depth XPS analysisshow that the U/BDD system consists of a blend of uranium oxides withIV, V, and VI oxidation states. Results show that U5+ ispresent and stable under open atmospheric conditions. The U electrodepositionon BDD creates smooth surfaces, free of voids, with uniform depositionof homogeneous tiny particles of stable uranium oxides, instead ofchunky particles, and uranium compound mixtures, like large fibersof the precursor uranyl. Our electrochemical method operates withouthigh temperatures or hazardous compounds. Uranium corrosion and oxidationprocesses occur spontaneously and parallel to the electrochemicalformation of metallic uranium on BDD electrode surfaces, with metallicuranium reacting with water, producing fine particles of UO2. This work represents the first attempt to create a surface of uraniumoxides, where the film thickness can be controlled for future applications, e.g., improving sensitivity in neutron detection technologies.Our U electro-assembling method provides a sustainable strategy foruranium electro-recovery from nuclear wastes, immobilizing uraniumas a storage method or as U-film fabrication (U/BDD) for future neutrondetection applications. Besides, this work contributes to uranium-basedtechnologies, improving them and providing a better understandingof their electrochemical properties, e.g., uraniumredox processes, uranium oxides' formation, and stability evaluation.These properties are of remarkable need for uranium-based target formation.The use of our U/BDD method is proposed as an environmental protocolto recover and immobilize uranium-235, and other fissile materials,from civil and defense wastes, contaminated systems, and stockpiles.