Lanthanide and actinide extractions using di(p-tert-butylphenyl)-N,N-di-(isobutyl)carbamoylmethylphosphine oxide substituted acetic acid

• In Event: Poster Presentation and Judging for: Biomedical; Cell & Molecular Biology; Chemistry & Biochemistry; Marine Science; Systematics & Evolutionary Biology.
  In Poster Session: Chemistry & Biochemistry Poster Session

Abstract

Liquid-liquid extraction of lanthanides (La, Nd, Eu, Dy and Yb) and some actinides (Th and U) has been investigated using di(p-tert-butylphenyl)-N,N-di-(isobutyl)carbamoylmethylphosphine oxide (CMPO), and a new CMPO modified at the methylene position with an addition of an acetic acid group. The complex formed by the metal ion and the CMPO was characterized by NMR spectroscopy, 31P, 13C, 1H, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The extraction efficiencies were deducted after mixing the two solutions with equal concentration of ligand and metal, in their respective phases, for 4 hours and analyzing metal content, in the organic phase. Using metal concentrations, distribution ratios of the extractions were calculated and compared to determine the efficiency of these ligands and, more importantly, the impact of the carboxylic acid functionality on this important extraction process.

Authors

• Raul Alejandro Cuevas, Student

• Keith Pannell, University of Texas at El Paso