The infrared absorption spectra (40-800 cm⁻¹) of the trifluorides
of Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Ho, Er, Tm, and Yb isolated
in solid argon, krypton and nitrogen matrices have been obtained. For
PrF₃ the symmetric and asymmetric stretching modes were observed;
PrF₃ is accordingly assigned a...
Carboxylic acids have played an important role in the field of actinide (An) and lanthanide (Ln) separations and the reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuel. Recent bench-scale experiments have demonstrated that 3-carboxy-3-hydroxypentanedioic acid (citric acid) is a promising aqueous complexant that can effectively aid in the separation of transition metals from...
The rare earth elements (REEs) have been established as powerful tracers for a range of physiochemical processes occurring in the natural environment. They also hold significant economic importance as many technological advancements are reliant upon the REEs for their unique magnetic, luminescent, and electrochemical characteristics. In sedimentary settings, understanding the...
The fate and transport of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) such as titanium dioxide (TiO₂) are of concern due to their increasing use in consumer products. Although analytical methods for detection and quantification of ENPs in environmental matrices are being developed, these methods are difficult, time consuming, and not easily validated for...
This thesis describes the development of a rare earth element (REE) proxy for paleoceanographic studies of climate change. This work was done in three stages with the goal: (1) To develop a cleaning method that overcomes the problems of REE readsorption; (2) To measure pore water REEs for evaluation of...
Two studies were conducted involving rare earth elements. In the
first study, the use of rare earth diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid
(DTPA) complexes as stable actiable tracers, a method of stable-isotope
tracing with post-sampling neutron activation analysis, was explored.
The persistence of rare earth DTPA complexes in estuarine waters was
measured in...
The ability of nanoparticles (NPs) to induce oxidative stress on organisms has been linked to NP cytotoxicity and genotoxicity for a variety of organisms. One proposed mechanism of this increased oxidative stress is the ability of NPs to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). Due to the dynamic nature and small...