SPECTROSCOPIC INVESTIGATION OF THE PHOTOCHEMISTRY OF URANYL-DOPED SOL-GEL GLASSES IMMERSED IN ETHANOL

Uranyl ion (UO22+) has been doped in silica glasses through a sol-gel process. The photochemistry of UO22+ doped glasses immersed in ethanol solution has been investigated. Our experimental results indicate tha t UO22+ in this system can be photochemically converted to U(IV) speci es, and evidence is provided for the possible formation of U(IV) speci es via a subsequent chemical reduction of the intermediate UO2+ instea d of the conventional bimolecular disproportionation reaction. The lat ter mechanism is known to be a dominant mechanism for the photochemica l reactions in homogeneous solutions.