Speciation of uranyl sorbed at multiple binding sites on montmorillonite

Abstract

We have investigated the structures of U (VI) complexes as uranyl moieties sorbed onto a reference montmorillonite, SAz-1, using X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS). The uranyl-loaded clays were prepared from aqueous solutions of uranyl nitrate in the pH range from 3.0 to 3.5. The U concentrations on the clay ranged from 1.7 to 34.6% of the reported cation exchange capacity (CEC = 1.2 meq/g) of the clay. For all samples, XAFS results indicate that there are two axial oxygen atoms at 1.78–1.80 Å, as expected for the uranyl moiety. The average numbers and distances of equatorial oxygen atoms about uranyl sorbed on the clay vary significantly as a function of surface coverage. At high coverage (34.6% CEC), the average number and distance of equatorial oxygen atoms are near those found for the fully hydrated uranyl species in aqueous solution. However, there are fewer equatorial oxygen atoms at a shorter average distance about uranyl sorbed at low coverage (1.7% CEC). At moderate coverage (7.3% CEC), the average number and distance of equatorial oxygen atoms are intermediate between those at higher and lower coverage. These changes suggest that sorbing U is reacting with at least three different sites on the clay as U concentration increases. The existence of multiple surface sites and sorption complexes which are structurally distinct from solution species need to be considered for rigorous modeling of sorption processes.