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Sequestration of trivalent americium and lanthanide nitrates with bis-lactam-1,10-phenanthroline ligand in a hydrocarbon solvent

Publication Type
Journal
Journal Name
RSC Advances
Publication Date
Page Numbers
26537 to 26541
Volume
9
Issue
46

Efficient separation of minor actinides and lanthanides from used nuclear fuel could potentially lead to the development of sustainable nuclear fuel cycles. Herein, we report an in-depth study on selectivity and speciation in the extraction of the trivalent minor actinide Am and rare earth metal ions with a pre-organized phenanthroline-based ligand in a hydrocarbon solvent system relevant to nuclear fuel reprocessing. The 1 : 1 and 2 : 1 ligand-to-metal complexes dominate the speciation in the organic solvent over a range of ligand-to-metal concentrations, as evidenced by experimental data and supported by modeling.