Department of Surface Processes

The why? The how? The what?

The ultimate goal of our research, driven by scientific curiosity, is to gain fundamental and independent knowledge of the (geo)chemistry and environmental fate of long-lived radionuclides (RNs). One prominent and socially important application is the safe disposal of radioactive waste, to aid future generations in the responsibility of dealing with “our” legacy from energy production in nuclear reactors.

For this purpose we provide the radiochemical knowledge, namely structural and mechanistic data of important mobilizing and immobilizing reactions of RNs in solution, at interfaces, and in solids.

Our particular focus is using a variety of established and advanced microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, to accurately describe complex formation reactions and complex structures that govern RN interactions in the geosphere. In addition, we investigate the creation and chemical speciation of activation products in materials from nuclear power plants in the context of their safe decommissioning.

As part of a value chain, the derived structural information forms a sound basis for a reliable thermodynamic description of the investigated systems, which can be integrated in thermodynamic databases. The thermodynamic work is done in close collaboration with the department of Actinide thermodynamics.

Our core competencies

• Chemistry of long-lived RNs – Expertise in handling RNs, ranging from fission- and activation products to transuranium elements, and access to radiation safety labs.
• Structural characterization – Expertise in applying and coupling spectroscopic and microscopic as well as diffraction techniques for accessing molecular information.
• Thermodynamic description of RN complexes – Using macroscopic, spectroscopic, and calorimetric information of reactant-water-surface phenomena as basis for the derivation of surface complexation models and their thermodynamic parameters.

Research fields

• Coordination chemistry of RNs in aqueous solution and in human artificial biofluids, e.g. WRaP project.
• Molecular characterization of RN reactions at natural and engineered mineral-water interfaces, e.g. REDOX, RULET and TRANSFER projects.
• Environmental technetium chemistry., e.g. Young Investigator Group TecRad.
• Experimental support for calculations of neutron fields and the resulting activities close to nuclear reactors, e.g. EBENE project.

Latest Publication

More publications

A list of publications can be found here.

Research groups

• NukSiFutur Young investigators group TecRad

Currently running third-party funded projects

• Interactions of radionuclides with organophosphates (WRaP) started 10/2026, BMFTR
• Experimentally supported calculations of neutron fields and the resulting activities in spaces far from the reactor (EBENE) started: 04/2024, BMFTR
• Interactions of technetium with microorganisms, metabolites and at the mineral-water interface – Radioecological considerations (TecRad) started: 07/2022, BMFTR
• Redox reactivity of selenium in environmental geomedia (REDOX) started: 06/2022, ANDRA
• Retention and solubility of dose-relevant radionuclides under the reducing near-field conditions of a repository in clay or crystalline rock (RULET) started 11/2024, BMUKN
• Graduate School TRANSFER: Training and Research Academy for Nuclear Safety and Future Expertise on Geological Repository Systems (Endlager-Kolleg), started 04/2026, BMFTR

An overview of finished projects can be found here.

Team

Surface Processes

Head
Name	Bld./Office	+49 351 260	Email
Dr. Katharina Müller	801/P248	2439	k.muellerhzdr.de
Employees
Name	Bld./Office	+49 351 260	Email
Dr. Astrid Barkleit	801/P207	3136 2512 2518	a.barkleithzdr.de
Aline Chlupka	801/P203	3198 2518 2523	a.chlupkahzdr.de
Dr. Sebastian Friedrich	801/P252	2076	s.friedrichhzdr.de
Dr. Norbert Jordan	801/P218	2148	n.jordanhzdr.de
Dr. Mario Löw	801/P352	3154	m.loewhzdr.de
Zarina Salkenova	801/P254	3487	z.salkenovahzdr.de
Stephan Weiß	801/P316	2758 2523	s.weisshzdr.de
Maud Emilie Zilbermann	801/P254	3487	m.zilbermannhzdr.de
"TecRad" Wechselwirkung von Technetium mit Mikroorganismen, Metaboliten und an Mineral-Wasser-Grenzflächen - Radioökologische Betrachtungen
Name	Bld./Office	+49 351 260	Email
Dr. Natalia Mayordomo Herranz	801/P252	2076	n.mayordomo-herranzhzdr.de
Caroline Balas	801/P254	2251	c.balashzdr.de
Irene Cardaio	801/P254	2251	i.cardaiohzdr.de
Dr. Marcos Felipe Martinez Moreno		3154	m.martinez-morenohzdr.de
Vijay Kumar Saini	801/P352	3328	v.sainihzdr.de

Alumni