[en] Bentonite clay has been selected as a potential buffer or backfill material in a number of disposal programmes for high level waste. In order to enhance the thermodynamic database of sorption phenomena at the solid-water interface, we have investigated sorption mechanisms of europium(III) and uranium(VI) ions onto montmorillonite and bentonite. Thermodynamic data were obtained for different ions concentrations, different background electrolytes and different ionic strengths. The structural identification of the surface complexes and sorption sites was carried out using two spectroscopies, XPS and TRLIFS, while sorption edges were performed using batch experiments. However, clays are complex minerals and in order to understand these sorption mechanisms we have studied europium(III) and uranium(VI) retention on a silica and an alumina because these solids are often considered as basic components of clays. The comparison of structural results shows that europium ions are significantly sorbed on permanently charged sites of clay until pH 7. But this ion is also sorbed on ≡SiOH and ≡AlOH sites of montmorillonite at pH higher than 6. Uranyl ions sorption on montmorillonite is mainly explained by retention of three complexes on ≡SiOH sites. Moreover, we have shown that nitrate ions and dissolved silicates affect on uranium(VI) sorption mechanisms onto alumina. Nevertheless, uranyl ions sorption on montmorillonite and bentonite only decreases with increasing carbonate concentration. Finally, all the sorption edges were then modeled using these results and a surface complexation model (2 pK and constant capacitance models). (author)