EXAFS investigation of uranium(VI) complexes formed at Bacillus cereus and Bacillus sphaericus surfaces

Uranium(VI) complex formation at vegetative cells and spores of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus sphaericus was studied using uranium LII-edge and LIII-edge extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. A comparison of the measured equatorial U-O distances and other EXAFS structural parameters of uranyl complexes formed at the Bacillus strains with those of the uranyl structure family indicates that the uranium is predominantly bound as uranyl phosphate.