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NMR Spectroscopy in Nuclear Safety Research

Kretzschmar, J.; Barkleit, A.; Brendler, V.; Brunner, E.

Radioactive elements can be emitted to the environment for several reasons. There are natural uranium and thorium compounds (and their decay products) in rock formations, which can be released by geologic alteration or mining processes. As a consequence of energy production in nuclear power plants over the last decades, huge amounts of nuclear waste were produced. If this waste is not stored adequately, radionuclides can enter the geo- or biosphere. Studying the transport behaviour of these radioactive elements and their fission products is the key aspect of our research. Here, rocks and natural mineral phases as well as organic molecules as potential binding sites are objects of investigation.
Both, NMR spectroscopic structure elucidation of environmentally relevant complexes of lanthanides, actinides and selenium as well as the verification of results obtained by other techniques in former studies, are the aims of this work.
The study of large biomolecules such as proteins or humic acids is rather complicated. Therefore, compounds which are themselves potential complexing agents or at least possess structural similarities to larger molecules, are used as model substances, for instance glutathione (a tripeptide) or citrate.
Different one- and two-dimensional solution and solid state NMR methods will be applied to dedicated systems, supplied by TRLFS, ATR FT-IR and EXAFS. Where possible, the radionuclides are supposed to be replaced by inactive analogues or isotopes. In the case of selenium*, the spin-½ nucleus of Se-77 is well suited to be directly observed by NMR spectroscopy.

* in cooperation with E. Brendler, Institut für Analytische Chemie, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg

Keywords: NMR spectroscopy; nuclear safety research; lanthanides; actinides; selenium; boric acid

  • Poster
    15th JCF Frühjahrssymposium, 06.-09.03.2013, Berlin, Deutschland

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-18378
Publ.-Id: 18378