Hierarchical Materials as Tailored Nuclear Waste Forms: A Perspective

TLDR

Hierarchical structures and their underlying crystal chemistry provide a foundation for designing new materials with tailored properties. This perspective aims to develop hierarchical materials—nanoparticles, porous frameworks, and crystalline salt inclusion phases—that can simultaneously sequester multiple radionuclides. The authors integrate synthesis, characterization, and modeling of these material classes to build the scientific understanding required for purposeful creation of such hierarchical structures. They present a scientific basis that will enable the creation of safe, efficient, long‑lasting waste forms for fission products and transuranic elements.

Abstract

This perspective focuses on the synthesis, characterization, and modeling of three classes of hierarchical materials with potential for sequestering radionuclides: nanoparticles, porous frameworks, and crystalline salt inclusion phases. The scientific impact of hierarchical structures and the development of the underlying crystal chemistry is discussed as laying the groundwork for the design, local structure control, and synthesis of new forms of matter with tailored properties. This requires development of the necessary scientific understanding of such complex structures through integrated synthesis, characterization, and modeling studies that can allow their purposeful creation and properties. The ultimate practical aim is to provide the means to create novel structure types that can simultaneously sequester multiple radionuclides. The result will lead to the creation of safe and efficient, long lasting waste forms for fission products and transuranic elements that are the products of nuclear materials processing waste streams. The generation of the scientific basis for working toward that goal is presented.