Reactivity of UO2-NPs with H2 as models of spent nuclear fuel

In order to determine the safest means of storage of spent nuclear fuel, any reactions occurring over the material whilst in storage must be determined. If any water is adsorbed on nuclear waste materials in sealed cans, radiolysis can yield H2. The onward reactivity of any H2 must therefore be determined, to provide an evidence-based and cost-effective safety case for the long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel. We propose here to investigate the vibrational spectra of surface bound hydrogen containing adsorbates on a range of uranium containing materials as high surface area models for spent nuclear fuel.