Publications

Sep, 2026

Journal

Optical Vibrational Spectroscopic Investigation of Natural and Synthetic Analogs of Uranyl Oxyhydroxyhydrate Minerals

Uranyl oxy-hydroxy-hydrate minerals are common alteration products of uraninite (UO2+x) which is chemically and structurally analogous to uranium dioxide nuclear fuel. Therefore, structural and spectroscopic investigations of these alteration minerals and their analogous anthropogenic counterparts can provide insight into the environmental behavior of nuclear fuel cycle ma…

Sep, 2026

Journal

Raman Spectra of U3Ox

Aug, 2026

Journal

Crystallization Improvements in Studtite by Vapor Diffusion Synthesis

Studtite is a common nuclear fuel cycle material that has been the focus of considerable research due to its role as a uranium ore concentrate. In a laboratory setting, studtite is commonly synthesized via the addition of liquid-phase hydrogen peroxide to an aqueous uranyl nitrate solution. The product produced from this process is a very fine, pale-yellow powder with crys…

Jun, 2026

Journal

Polyoxometalate-Assisted Crystallization: A General Strategy Enabling Structural Characterization of Molecular Radium Complexes

A fundamental understanding of radium (Ra) coordination chemistry has been hindered by the scarcity and radiological hazards of 226Ra, leaving the structural characterization of molecular Ra complexes almost entirely unexplored. Here, we introduce a polyoxometalate (POM)-assisted crystallization strategy that enables single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of Ra–chelator…

Mar, 2026

Journal

Raman spectroscopic investigation of ianthinite [U24+(UO2)4O6(OH)4(H2O)4]·5H2O, a rare mixed-valence uranium oxide hydrate

Ianthinite ([U24+(UO2)4O6(OH)4(H2O)4]·5H2O) is an exotic mineral that possesses U in both tetravalent and hexavalent oxidation states and is structurally related to the U3O8 polymorphs, which are commonly encountered technogenic materials in the nuclear fuel cycle. Despite the similarities between U3O8 and ianthinite, and the importance of ianthinite in U paragenesis, no R…

Feb, 2026

Journal

Monitoring Sulfuric Acid and Temperature Using Raman Spectroscopy and Multivariate Chemometrics

Multivariate regression models were optimized for the quantification of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) [0–8 M] and temperature (20 °C–80 °C) in the presence of ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2SO4 [0–0.6 M]) using Raman spectroscopy. Optical vibrational spectroscopy is a useful nondestructive technique for the in situ analysis of complex chemical systems notoriously difficult to monitor in…

Nov, 2025

ORNL Report

Analysis of Small-Scale Experiments

Oct, 2025

Journal

Chemometrics and Visible Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy to Classify Plutonium Dioxide

Diffuse reflectance (DR) spectra in the Vis-NIR (∼380–1050 nm) region were acquired for a series of PuO2 samples with a spot size of about 10 × 10 μm. Two batches of six PuO2 samples, synthesized approximately 7.5 months apart, were prepared using both Pu(III) and Pu(IV) oxalate precursors at three distinct calcination temperatures (450, 650, and 950 °C). This yielded a to…

Aug, 2025

Journal

A systematic exploration of the hydrolysis products of the uranium trioxide polymorphs and their optical vibrational spectra

Study of the uranium trioxide (UO3)-water system is complex with inconclusive results and limited details in the literature. The UO3 system is home to at least seven structural polymorphs and an amorphous phase. The proposed hydrolysis products of UO3 are just as numerous, yet investigations of these alteration products are sporadic and generally antiquated, thus requiring…

Apr, 2025

Journal

Overcoming Variability: A Reproducible Approach to SERS Detection of Nanodiamonds

Detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) are formed at specific pressures and temperatures during explosions. Different explosives produce varied yields of DNDs within their detonation soot, with Composition B producing the highest yield. Raman spectroscopy (RS) is often used for the characterization of sp2- and sp3-hybridized carbon allotropes in carbonaceous materials because of d…

Dec, 2024

ORNL Report

Advanced Spectroscopic Characterization of Surface Structures: Analysis Results

Nov, 2024

ORNL Report

Advanced Spectroscopic Characterization of Surface Structures: Closeout Report