Identification of uranyl surface complexes on ferrihydrite: Advanced EXAFS data analysis and CD-MUSIC modeling

Previous spectroscopic research suggested that uranium(VI) adsorption to iron oxides is dominated by ternary uranyl-carbonato surface complexes across an unexpectedly wide pH range. Formation of such complexes would have significant impact on the sorption behavior and mobility of uranium in aqueous environments. We therefore re-investigated the identity and structural coordination of uranyl sorption complexes using a combination of U L_III-edge Extended X-ray Absorption Fine-Structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy and Iterative Transformation Factor Analysis, which enhances the resolution in comparison to conventional EXAFS analysis. A range of conditions (pH, CO₂ partial pressure, ionic strength) made it possible to quantify the variations in surface speciation. In the resulting set of spectral data (N=11), the variance is explained by only two components, which represent two structurally different types of surface complexes: (1) a binary uranyl surface complex with a bidentate coordination to edges of Fe(O,OH)₆ octahedra, and (2) a uranyl triscarbonato surface complex where one carbonate ion bridges uranyl to the surface. This ternary type B complex differs from a type A complex where uranyl is directly attached to surface atoms, and carbonate is bridged by uranyl to the surface. Both surface complexes agree qualitatively and quantitatively with predictions by a charge distribution (CD) model. According to this model, the edge-sharing uranyl complex has equatorial ligands (–OH₂, -OH or one -CO₃ group) that point away from the surface. The monodentate uranyl triscarbonato surface complex (type B) is relevant only at high pH and elevated pCO₂. At these conditions, however, it is responsible for significant uranyl sorption, whereas standard models would predict only weak sorption. This paper presents the first spectroscopic evidence of this ternary surface complex, which has significant implications for the immobilization of uranyl in carbonate-rich aqueous environments.