Nanoscale materials present as an area of increasing interest due to unique properties that can enhance use in a variety of applications. As nuclear fuel pellets are typically comprised of UO2 with micron-scale sized grains, synthesis of nanoscale UO2 could provide heightened performance. This work presents a method of UO2 synthesis that produces spherical particles of roughly 250nm in diameter. Through liquid spray through a furnace at various temperatures, the degree of reduction can be controlled to produce a variety of uranium oxide materials from UO3 to stoichiometrically pure uranium dioxide. This process is novel in that its starting material is a class of uranyl-based polyoxometalates (POMs) known as uranyl peroxide cage clusters (UPCs). Several methods of material characterization were conducted including X-ray diffraction, dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, and a variety of spectroscopic techniques.

Synthesis of nanoscale UO2 through thermally induced reduction of uranyl-based materials.

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ACS Fall 2022

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