Structure investigation of actinides in solution by combining EXAFS with electrochemistry

Natural aquatic and terrestrial environments comprise large variations in redox states. Actinides with their variable oxidation states are especially susceptible to these redox conditions. They form aqueous complexes which may greatly differ by solubility and mobility. These complexes are often difficult to investigate due to their thermodynamic metastability.

Therefore, we developed a spectro-electrochemical cell to study the speciation and structure of aqueous actinide complexes in situ by X-ray absorption spectroscopy, while applying and maintaining a constant potential. Due to the specific safety requirements for handling radioactive materials the electrochemical cell is equipped with two safety compartments and a special electrode arrangement.