Dissolution of U3O8 in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride and spectroscopic and electrochemical behavior of U(VI) in the resultant solution

Uranium oxide (U3O8) was dissolved in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (C4mimCl) in the presence of small quantity of nitric acid and the uranyl species present in the resultant solution was characterized by UV-Visible, ATR-FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. The electrochemical behaviour of UO22 + present in the resultant solution was studied at glassy carbon electrode by cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry. The diffusion coefficient of UO22 + in C4mimCl was determined. The [UO2Cl4]2 − species present in ionic liquid medium, confirmed by the spectroscopic studies, underwent a two electron transfer reduction to UO2 at the working electrode.