A cryogenic fluorescence spectroscopic study of uranyl carbonate, phosphate and oxyhydroxide minerals

In this work we applied time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLIF) at both room temperature (RT) and near liquid-helium temperature (6 K) to characterize a series of natural and synthetic minerals of uranium carbonate, phosphate and oxyhydroxides including rutherfordine, zellerite, liebigite, phosphuranylite, meta-autunite, meta-torbernite, uranyl phosphate, sodium-uranyl-phosphate, becquerelite, schoepite, meta-schoepite, dehydrated schoepite and compreignacite, and have compared the spectral characteristics among these minerals as well as our previously published data on uranyl silicates. For the carbonate minerals, the fluorescence spectra of rutherfordine showed significant difference from those of zellerite and liebigite. The fluorescence spectra of the phosphate minerals closely resemble each other despite the differences in their composition and structure. For all uranium oxyhydroxides, the fluorescence spectra are largely red-shifted as compared to those of the uranium carbonates and phosphates and their vibronic bands are broad and less resolved at RT. The enhanced spectra resolution at 6 K allows more accurate determination of the fluorescence band origin and offers a complemental method to measure the O=U=O symmetrical stretch frequency, v(1), from the spacings of the vibronic bands of the fluorescence spectra. The average v(1) values appear to be inversely correlated with the average pK(a) values of the anions.