Ab initio simulations of oxygen interaction with surfaces and interfaces in uranium mononitride

The results of DFT supercell calculations of oxygen behavior upon the UN (0 0 1) and (1 1 0) surfaces as well as at the tilt grain boundary are presented. Oxygen adsorption, migration, incorporation into the surface N vacancies on (0 0 1) and (1 1 0) surfaces have been modeled using 2D slabs of different thicknesses and supercell sizes. The temperature dependences of the N vacancy formation energies and oxygen incorporation energies are calculated. We demonstrate that O atoms easily penetrate into UN surfaces and grain boundaries containing N vacancies, due to negative incorporation energies and a small energy barrier. The Gibbs free energies of N vacancy formation and O atom incorporation therein at the two densely-packed surfaces and tilt grain boundaries are compared. It has been also shown that the adsorbed oxygen atoms are highly mobile which, combined with easy incorporation into surface N vacancies, explains efficient (but unwanted) oxidation of UN surfaces. The atomistic mechanism of UN oxidation via possible formation of oxynitrides is discussed.