Free-radical redox reactions of uranium ions in sulphuric acid solutions

The radiolytic reduction of uranyl ions in degassed sulphuric acid solutions containing various organic solutes was studied. It was shown that while ĊOOH, CO2−, and α-hydroxy-alkyl radicals reduced uranyl ions, the β-hydroxy-alkyl radicals and those derived from gluconic acid could not affect the reduction. The oxidation of uranium(IV) by hydrogen peroxide at pH 0.7 involves hydroxyl radicals in a chain mechanism but at pH 2.0 the oxidation proceeds by a non-radical reaction pathway. From the enhancement of the rate of oxidation of uranium(IV) by oxygen in the presence of 2-propanol, a mechanism involving the perhydroxyl radical, which reconciles earlier published data on kinetics and oxygen tracer studies, is proposed for the oxygen-uranium(IV) reactions.