CURIES: COMPENDIUM OF URANIUM RAMAN AND INFRARED EXPERIMENTAL SPECTRA

Optical vibrational spectra are powerful indicators of solid-phase U(VI) coordination chemistry. In addition, U(VI) minerals exhibit extreme chemical and structural diversity as artifacts of geochemical processes leading to ore formation. To determine the extent to which spectroscopic data permit identification of uranium solids with respect to chemistry and structural attributes, the Compendium of Uranium Raman and Infrared Experimental Spectra (CURIES) has been developed. CURIES was compiled via an exhaustive survey of peer-reviewed literature and databases and new spectral dataset collection for undercharacterized materials. Through review of literature and databases, mineral species that lack spectra were identified and obtained from museum and academic collections for analysis. Mineral samples that cannot be obtained from other sources are synthesized at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Characteristic spectroscopic features for subgroups of uranyl minerals within CURIES are determined using multivariate statistical analyses on the basis of the underlying crystal chemistry and structural attributes.