Contact

Porträt Dr. Müller, Katharina; FWOG

Photo: André Wirsig

Dr. Katharina Müller

Head Surface Processes
k.muellerAthzdr.de
Phone: +49 351 260 2439

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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.

Foto: Forschungsfelder der Abteilung Grenzflächenprozesse ©Copyright: Dr. Katharina Müller

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.
  • Molecular characterization of RN reactions at natural and engineered mineral-water interfaces, e.g. REDOX and RULET project.
  • 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

Characterization of reactive species in water induced by cold atmospheric air plasma: experimental applications for industrial micropollutant removal from wastewater and seed germination

Kumar, A.; Saini, V. K.; Huaccallo Aguilar, Y.; Reinecke, S.

Abstract

Cold atmospheric air plasma (CAAP) interaction with liquids produces a variety of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) that play crucial role in the oxidation of organic micropollutants (OMPs) in wastewater. In our study, a needle-type plasma source powered by an AC power supply was used to generate CAAP for the production of RONS in plasma-activated water (PAW) and for the treatment of succinic acid (SA). The PAW was characterized using various analytical techniques to determine its physicochemical properties (pH, oxidation-reduction potential, electrical conductivity, and optical absorbance) and to identify RONS (HO, H2O2, H3O+, NO3-, NO2-). Quantitative analysis of HO production was based on the presence of H2O2 in PAW, and associated chemistry for HO generation was explored. SA used as a probe compound, was treated directly with CAAP, and its mineralization was evaluated. SA oxidation in water was used to detect the presence of HO· in the liquid phase. The results indicated that CAAP effectively degraded SA in water, achieving 46 % mineralization. It was observed that the concentration of RONS increased significantly with longer treatment times and higher input plasma power. Energy consumption for RONS production in PAW was calculated, and the stability of RONS in PAW over a three-day period was discussed. Additionally, the study investigated seed germination and plant growth using PAW, exploring its potential application as fertilizer in agriculture. The potential future steps for synergistic combination of CAAP with a pilotscale continuous hydrodynamic cavitation process for treatment of wastewater containing OMPs are also discussed.

Keywords: Cold atmospheric air plasma; Micropollutants; Plasma activated water; Reactive species; Seed germination

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-40712


More publications

A list of publications can be found here.

Research groups

Currently running third-party funded projects

  • Experimentally supported calculations of neutron fields and the resulting activities in spaces far from the reactor (EBENE) started: 04/2024, BMBF
  • Interactions of technetium with microorganisms, metabolites and at the mineral-water interface – Radioecological considerations (TecRad) started: 07/2022, BMBF
  • 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, BMUV

An overview of finished projects can be found here.

Team

Foto: Surface processes department

"Surface processes" department

Surface Processes

Head

NameBld./Office+49 351 260Email
Dr. Katharina Müller801/P2482439
k.muellerAthzdr.de

Employees

NameBld./Office+49 351 260Email
Dr. Astrid Barkleit801/P2073136
2512
2518
a.barkleitAthzdr.de
Aline Chlupka801/P2033198
2518
2523
a.chlupkaAthzdr.de
Dr. Norbert Jordan801/P2182148
n.jordanAthzdr.de
Zarina Salkenovaz.salkenovaAthzdr.de
Stephan Weiß801/P3162758
2523
s.weissAthzdr.de
Maud Emilie Zilbermann801/P2543487
m.zilbermannAthzdr.de

"TecRad" Wechselwirkung von Technetium mit Mikroorganismen, Metaboliten und an Mineral-Wasser-Grenzflächen - Radioökologische Betrachtungen

NameBld./Office+49 351 260Email
Dr. Natalia Mayordomo Herranz801/P2522076
n.mayordomo-herranzAthzdr.de
Caroline Börner801/P2542251
c.boernerAthzdr.de
Arkadz Bureika801/P2012434
a.bureikaAthzdr.de
Irene Cardaio801/P2542251
i.cardaioAthzdr.de
Dr. Marcos Felipe Martinez Moreno801/P3523154
m.martinez-morenoAthzdr.de
Vijay Kumar Saini801/P3523328
v.sainiAthzdr.de

Alumni

Name at HZDR
Heidrun Neubert Lab assistant
Sara E. Gilson PostDoc
Christa Müller Lab assistant
Quirina Isabella Roode-Gutzmer Ph.D. student
Isabelle Jessat Ph.D. student,
gratuated 2023
Maximilian Demnitz Ph.D. student,
graduated 2022
Diana Marcela Rodriguez Hernandez Ph.D. student,
graduated 2021
Henry Lösch Ph.D. student,
graduated 2021
Manuel Eibl Ph.D. student,
graduated 2020
Susanne Lehmann Ph.D. student,
graduated 2020