Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 September 2012
The effect of the addition of an organic monolayer to the surface of a claymineral on the speciation of metal ions intercalated into the clayinterlayer is probed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The presence of themonolayer changes the surface of the clay from hydrophilic to hydrophobic.It inhibits the interlayer ions from exchanging freely into environmentalwater and reduces the leach rate of cations out of the clay by approximatelya factor of 20. Significant changes are observed when these coated samplesare treated under hydrothermal and thermal conditions. Reductions ofuranium(VI), in the form of uranyl, and copper(II) ions occur. In addition,the uranium aggregates, forming small particles that appear similar to UO2. Comparable conglomeration occurs with lead cations andwith the reduced copper species.