Catalysis plays an immensely important role in modern industry, both in terms of manufacturing many products, and in increasing the sustainability of industrial processes. Palladium metal nanoparticles are excellent catalysts used industrially for reactions such as hydrogenation, hydrogenolysis, dehydrogenation, and C–C couplings such as Heck, Suzuki, and Sonogashira reactions. However, the global demand for Pd […]

The use of nuclear power has been a significant part of the United Kingdom’s energy portfolio, with the Sellafield site being used for power production, and more recently reprocessing and decommissioning of spent nuclear fuel activities. Before being reprocessed, spent nuclear fuel is stored in water ponds with significant levels of background radioactivity and at […]

Decommissioning of legacy nuclear facilities in the UK is expected to continue for 100+ years and is predicted to cost £121 billion, of which approximately 75 % will go towards the decommissioning of the Sellafield site in Cumbria (UK GOV, 2019). The legacy ponds and silos situated on the Sellafield site are of high priority […]

Disposal of radioactive waste in a cementitious geological disposal facility (GDF) is considered the safest long-term management solution for these materials in the UK. Resaturation of the GDF with groundwater will cause the release of hyperalkaline leachates from the cement, which will dominate over geological timescales. Under these conditions, cellulosic material found in intermediate-level radioactive […]