Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry Investigation of BTBP - Lanthanide(III) and Actinide(III) Complexes
Journal article, 2009

In the framework of nuclear waste reprocessing, the separation processes of minor actinides from fission products are developed using liquid-liquid extraction. To gain an understanding of the mechanism involved in the extraction process, a complex formation of actinides and lanthanides with BTBPs (6,6'-bis(5,6-dialkyl-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)-2,2'-bipyridines) was characterized using the Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (ESI-MS) technique. This study was carried out to compare the influence of diluents and side groups of the extractants on complex formation. Three different diluents, nitrobenzene, octanol and cyclohexanone, and two extractants, C5-BTBP and CyMe4-BTBP, were selected for this experiment. It was found that the change of the diluent and of the substituent on the BTBP moiety does not modify the stoichiometry of the complexes which is L2M(NO3)3. It is proposed that one nitrate is directly coordinated to the metal ion, the two other anions probably remaining in the outer coordination sphere. The difference observed in extracting properties is probably due to the solvation of the complexes by the diluent. The noncovalent force that holds complexes together are likely to be largely governed by electrostatic interactions even if the hydrophobic exterior of the complexes plays an important role in the complexation/extraction mechanism. The study of the stability of the ions in the gas phase shows that the C5-BTBP ligand has a labile hydrogen atom, which is a fragility point of C5-BTBP.

lanthanides(iii)

complexes

esi-ms

metallic cations

europium(iii)

diluents

actinides(iii)

separation

BTBP

c5-btbp

ESI-MS

acid

solvent extraction

Eu

Am

americium(iii)

extracting agent

Author

Teodora Retegan Vollmer

Chalmers, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Nuclear Chemistry

L. Berthon

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)

Christian Ekberg

Chalmers, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Nuclear Chemistry

Anna Fermvik

Chalmers, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Nuclear Chemistry

Gunnar Skarnemark

Chalmers, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Nuclear Chemistry

N. Zorz

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)

Solvent Extraction and Ion Exchange

0736-6299 (ISSN) 1532-2262 (eISSN)

Vol. 27 5-6 663-682

DOI

10.1080/07366290903113991

More information

Latest update

3/27/2020