The dissociation of H2O on the γ-U (110) and (100) surfaces: an ab initio study

Abstract

Abstract The dissociation of H2O on γ-U (110) and γ-U (100) surfaces has been studied by using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations at an elevated temperature of 800 K. The simulation results show the dissociation of H2O into the OH group and H atom, which are finally adsorbed on the uranium surface. The dissociation results from electronic interactions between surface uranium 6d/5 f states and the s orbitals of H and the 2p orbitals of O. Additionally, the hybridization between the 6d orbital of surface uranium and the 2p orbital of oxygen plays a dominant role in dissociative adsorption. A significant charge transfer from the uranium surface to the O and H atoms is observed, indicating the formation of U–O and U–H chemical bonds. Specifically, for γ-U (110) surface, the most preferred site for OH is the 3-fold hollow site and H occupies the bridge site or the 3-fold hollow site. On the other hand, for γ-U (100) surface, OH prefers to adsorb on the bridge site and H occupies the 3-fold hollow site or the bridge site. Furthermore, when H2O is placed on the TOP site, its initial dissociation on the γ-U (110) surface is easier compared to the γ-U (100) surface.