Figure 1: Formation kinetics and Vis-NIR spectra of Pu intrinsic colloids.
From: Insights into the sonochemical synthesis and properties of salt-free intrinsic plutonium colloids
(a) Kinetic curves of sonochemical colloid formation during sonolysis of PuO2 in water at 20 kHz (Pac = 0.34 W·mL−1) in the presence of 10%CO/Ar gas mixture at 20 °C. Concentration of Pu in colloidal solution was measured by alpha spectroscopy immediately after removal of non-colloidal particles of PuO2. Inset shows pH evolution during sonolysis of PuO2 (SBET = 20 m2∙g−1). After 30 h of sonolysis the pH value of solution was 3.3 ± 0.1 for all studied PuO2 samples including the experiments in the presence of Ar and Ar/O2. (b) Vis-NIR absorption spectra of sonochemical Pu colloid, [Pu] = 1.7·10−3 M, pH = 3.2 (a.) and hydrolytic Pu colloid, [Pu] = 2.3·10−3 M, pH = 2.8 (b.). Insets show a picture of both colloids and the extended Vis-NIR spectra. Vis-NIR spectra were collected after 1 month of sampling.
