Lanthanide electrodeposition in aqueous ammonium acetate: A surrogate approach for actinide film fabrication

Abstract

Electrodeposition is a key technique for preparing actinide thin films, which are used in applications such as alpha spectroscopy, accelerator beam bombardments, irradiation studies, and as radioactive sources. In this study, we investigate the electrodeposition of actinides using three nonradioactive lanthanide surrogates: lanthanum, samarium, and lutetium. Using cyclic voltammetry, chronopotentiometry, pH evolution measurements, and imaging, we examine the electrodeposition mechanisms driven by local pH changes at the electrode surface, caused by cathodic reactions that form hydroxide species. While all three lanthanides produced similar thin film morphologies, lutetium showed a stronger preference for deposition at lower currents compared to lanthanum and samarium. This difference suggests that the unique properties of lanthanide hydroxides influence the deposition process. These findings underscore the importance of accounting for the variability in lanthanide and actinide hydroxides as the range of actinides used in electrodeposition continues to expand.