X-ray excited Pu core–valence–valence and core–core–valence Auger line-shapes were used in combination with the Pu 4f photoelectron peaks to characterize differences in the oxidation state and local electronic structure for Pu compounds. The evolution of the Pu 4f core-level chemical shift as a function of sputtering depth profiling and hydrogen exposure at ambient temperature was quantified. The combination of the core–valence–valence Auger peak energies with the associated chemical shift of the Pu 4f photoelectron line defines the Auger parameter and results in a reliable method for definitively determining oxidation states independent of binding energy calibration. Results show that PuO2, Pu2O3, PuH2.7, and Pu have definitive Auger line-shapes. These data were used to produce a chemical state (Wagner) plot for select plutonium oxides. This Wagner plot allowed us to distinguish between the trivalent hydride and the trivalent oxide, which cannot be differentiated by the Pu 4f binding energy alone.
Surface adsorption represents a competition between collision and scattering processes that depend on surface energy, surface structure and temperature. The surface reactivity of the actinides can add additional complexity due to radiological dissociation of the gas and electronic structure. Here we elucidate the chemical bonding of gas molecules adsorbed on Pu metal and oxide surfaces. Atmospheric gas reactions were studied at 190 and 300 K using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Evolution of the Pu 4f and O 1s core-level states were studied as a function of gas dose rates to generate a set of Langmuir isotherms. Results show that the initial gas dose forms Pu 2 O 3 on the Pu metal surface followed by the formation of PuO 2 resulting in a layered oxide structure. This work represents the first steps in determining the activation energy for adsorption of various atmospheric gases on Pu.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.