Structural study of trivalent lanthanide and actinide complexes formed upon solvent extraction.

The coordination of the trivalent 4f ions, Ln = Nd3+, Eu3+ and Yb3+, as well as the trivalent 5f ion, Am3+, with diamide and dialkylphosphoric acid extractants, individually and in combination, was studied by use of X-ray absorption spectroscopy. These studies provide metrical information about the interatomic interactions between the f-ions (M3+) and the ligands, dihexylphosphoric acid (HDHP) and N,N'-dimethyl-N,N'-dioctylhexylethoxymalonamide (DMDOHEMA), that is of practical relevance to the control of metal-ligand binding in liquid-liquid extraction systems for the separation of trivalent actinide ions, An3+, from trivalent lanthanide ions, Ln3+. Through systematic variations of extraction conditions and extractant combinations, we have found that the HDHP complexes with M3+ involve MO6 coordination and distant M...P interactions, whereas the DMDOHEMA complexes with M3+ involve MO8 coordination. The combination of the EXAFS results with ancillary extraction data and IR results facilitates descriptions of the stoichiometries and structures of the molecular species formed in solution upon liquid-liquid extraction and leads to a new understanding of the binary extraction systems in terms of the strength and selectivity of An3+- vs. Ln3+-ligand interactions. This fundamental structure information affords insight into solvent extraction processes that are of contemporary and practical importance in heavy element chemistry and to environmentally related issues arising from the separation and disposal of radioactive materials, particularly actinides and selected fission products, in the field of nuclear waste reprocessing research.

Complexes formed between the quadridentate, heterocyclic molecules 6,6'-bis-(5,6-dialkyl-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)-2,2'-bipyridine (BTBP) and lanthanides(III): implications for the partitioning of actinides(III) and lanthanides(III).

New hydrophobic, tetradentate nitrogen heterocyclic reagents, 6,6'-bis-(5,6-dialkyl-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)-2,2'-bipyridines (BTBPs) have been synthesised. These reagents form complexes with lanthanides and crystal structures with 11 different lanthanides have been determined. The majority of the structures show the lanthanide to be 10-coordinate with stoichiometry [Ln(BTBP)(NO3)3] although Yb and Lu are 9-coordinate in complexes with stoichiometry [Ln(BTBP)(NO3)2(H2O)](NO3). In these complexes the BTBP ligands are tetradentate and planar with donor nitrogens mutually cisi.e. in the cis, cis, cis conformation. Crystal structures of two free molecules, namely C2-BTBP and CyMe4-BTBP have also been determined and show different conformations described as cis, trans, cis and trans, trans, trans respectively. A NMR titration between lanthanum nitrate and C5-BTBP showed that two different complexes are to be found in solution, namely [La(C5-BTBP)2]3+ and [La(C5-BTBP)(NO3)3]. The BTBPs dissolved in octanol were able to extract Am(III) and Eu(III) from 1 M nitric acid with large separation factors.

Solvent extraction and lanthanide complexation studies with new terdentate ligands containing two 1,3,5-triazine moieties.

The extracting agent 2,6-bis(4,6-di-pivaloylamino-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-pyridine (L(5)) in n-octanol was found, in synergy with 2-bromodecanoic acid, to give D(Am)/D(Eu) separation factors (SFs) between 2.4 and 3.7 when used to extract the metal ions from 0.02-0.12 M HNO(3). Slightly higher SFs (4-6) were obtained in the absence of the synergist when the ligand was used to extract Am(III) and Eu(III) from 0.98 M HNO(3). In order to investigate the possible nature of the extracted species crystal structures of L(5) and the complex formed between Yb(III) with 2,6-bis(4,6-di-amino-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-pyridine (L(4)) were also determined. The structure of L(5) shows 3 methanol solvent molecules all of which form 2 or 3 hydrogen bonds with triazine nitrogen atoms, amide nitrogen or oxygen atoms, or pyridine nitrogen atoms. However, L(5) is relatively unstable in metal complexation reactions and loses amide groups to form the parent tetramine L(4). The crystal structure of Yb(L(4))(NO(3))(3) shows ytterbium in a 9-coordinate environment being bonded to three donor atoms of the ligand and three bidentate nitrate ions. The solvent extraction properties of L(4) and L(5) are far inferior to those found for the 2,6-bis-(1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)-pyridines (L(1)) which have SF values of ca. 140 and theoretical calculations have been made to compare the electronic properties of the ligands. The electronic charge distribution in L(4) and L(5) is similar to that found in other terdentate ligands such as terpyridine which have equally poor extraction properties and suggests that the unique properties of L(1) evolve from the presence of two adjacent nitrogen atoms in the triazine rings.

The important effect of ligand architecture on the selectivity of metal ion recognition in An(III)/Ln(III) separation with N-donor extractants.

The existence of a strong correlation between ligand architecture and metal ion binding selectivity is demonstrated through large differences in the separation efficiencies found in the selective extraction of Am3+ from an acidic mixture of Am3+ and Eu3+ for three new tetrapodal hexadentate ligands containing four 2-pyrazinylmethyl groups attached to three different diamino spacers.