Oxidation state determination of uranium in various uranium oxides: Photoacoustic spectroscopy complimented by photoluminescence studies

• Oxidation state of uranium by PAS.
• Fluorination of uranium oxides is explored.
• PAS techniques is complimented by PL.

Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) has been utilized for the determination of U(IV). Initial experiments were carried out for determination of U(IV) in uranium tetra fluoride, and were further extended to the determination of U(IV) in uranium oxide samples having various O/M ratios like UO2.00, UO2.17, U3O8, and U3O7. All these oxides, since dark gray/black in color, were having featureless spectra in the visible region, hence solid state reaction of uranium oxide with ammonium bi-fluoride was utilized for the formation of U(IV) and U(VI) oxyfluorides, having narrow well resolved spectra, prior to estimation by Photoacoustic spectroscopy technique. The strong absorption for U(IV) complex at 630 nm was monitored using a He–Ne laser resulting in good sensitivity for determination of U(IV). It was observed that fluorinated uranium dioxide (UO2) is having spectra similar to U(IV); fluorinated uranium trioxide (UO3) is having spectra of uranyl only whereas Triuranium octoxide (U3O8) spectra consist of both U(IV) and uranyl component. This was further supported by photoluminescence studies.