Photoemission study of plutonium oxycarbide

Abstract

Surface films of plutonium oxycarbide have shown oxidation retardation properties. The plutonium oxycarbide film analyzed in this study has a stoichiometry of PuC0.5O0.3 and is homogenous within the depth probed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electronic structure of this plutonium oxycarbide surface film has been investigated using core level x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and valence band ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. The conduction band has been probed with inverse photoemission spectroscopy. The core level Pu 4f7/2 spectrum consists of two components occurring from the poor and well-screened final states. The valence band spectra display peaks attributable to occupied ligand states and both localized and itinerant Pu 5f electron behavior.