Exploring molecule–surface interactions of urania via IR spectroscopy and density functional theory

Abstract

Within the framework of surface–adsorbate interactions relevant to chemical reactions of spent nuclear fuel, the study of actinide oxide systems remains one of the most challenging tasks at both the experimental and computational levels. Consequently, our understanding of the effect of their unique electronic configurations on surface reactions lags behind that of d-block oxides. To investigate the surface properties of this system, we present the first infrared spectroscopy analysis of carbon monoxide (CO) interaction with a monocrystalline actinide oxide, UO₂(111). Using a monocrystalline form largely avoids issues related to super-stoichiometries (UO_2+x) and makes the experimental data suitable for further theoretical studies. Our findings reveal that CO adsorbs molecularly and shows a pronounced blue shift of the vibrational frequency to 2160 cm⁻¹ relative to the gas-phase value. Interpreted through density functional theory (DFT) at different levels of computation, results indicate that to accurately describe the interaction between the CO molecule and the surface, it is essential to consider hybrid functionals, the non-collinearity of uranium's local magnetic moments, and spin–orbit coupling. Moreover, an intense IR absorption band at 978 cm⁻¹ emerged upon CO adsorption, tentatively attributed to the frequency shift of the O–U–O asymmetric stretch of the UO₂(111) surface in the presence of adsorbed oxygen. This new band, together with the observation of the importance of the relativistic effects in determining the nature of the chemical bonding of CO, is poised to broaden our understanding of actinide surface reactions.