Radiation-Assisted Formation of Metal Nanoparticles in Molten Salts

Knowledge of structural and thermal properties of molten salts is crucial for understanding and predicting their stability in many applications such as thermal energy storage and nuclear energy systems. Probing the behavior of metal contaminants in molten salts is presently limited to either foreign ionic species or metal nanocrystals added to the melt. To bridge the gap between these two end states and follow the nucleation and growth of metal species in molten salt environment in situ, we use synchrotron X-rays as both a source of solvated electrons for reducing Ni' ions added to ZnCI, melt and as an atomic-level probe for detecting formation of zerovalent Ni nanoparticles. By combining extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis with Xray absorption near edge structure modeling, we obtained the average size and structure of the nanoparticles and proposed a radiation-induced reduction mechanism of metal ions in molten salts.

Automated summary

Understanding the structural and thermal properties of molten salts is crucial for applications such as thermal energy storage and nuclear energy systems. By utilizing synchrotron X-rays, researchers were able to study the behavior of metal contaminants in molten salts and uncover a radiation-induced reduction mechanism of metal ions.