Electrochemically-Modulated Separation and Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Actinides in Difficult Matrices

The goal of this research is to develop electrochemically “switchable” separations that can be performed on-line with mass spectrometry for rapid elemental and isotopic analysis of actinides. The separation of uranium and plutonium, as well as other actinide elements, from complex solutions such as seawater, radioactive wastes and nuclear reprocessing solutions will benefit from a separation process that does not employ redox chemicals but instead relies solely on potentials applied to chemically modified target electrodes. Such an approach requires very little power and is easily automated. It is therefore readily employed in harsh environments for remote sampling and analysis.