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Huang Q, Liang YT, Li AY. A Theoretical Study on the Influence of Five- and Six-Membered N-Heterocyclic Ring Side Chains of the N-Donor Extractants on Am(III)/Eu(III) Extraction and Separation. J Phys Chem A 2024; 128:6834-6846. [PMID: 39140223 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.4c02777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
According to the green development requirements of carbon neutrality and carbon peaking, the effective separation of lanthanides and actinides is one of the key factors for nuclear energy to become a sustainable energy source. In recent years, o-phenanthroline-based ligands have been proven to be effective in the separation of lanthanides and actinides. In this work, based on 5,9b-dihydro-4aH-cyclopenta[1,2-b:5,4-b']dipyridines, we designed six N-heterocyclic ring ligands and theoretically studied their extraction capacity and separation selectivity for the Am(III) and Eu(III) ions. Various theoretical methods were used to analyze the properties of the ligands and study the bonding nature of the ligands with the metal ions. Thermodynamic parameters were calculated to measure the extraction ability of the ligands to the metal ions and to explore the separation capacity of the ligand for the Am(III) and Eu(III) ions. The calculated results show that the five- and six-membered N-heterocyclic ring side chains of the ligands and the distribution of the N atoms on the side chain rings have obvious effects on the bonding of the ligands to metal ions and on the extraction and separation properties of the ligands for the metal ions. It was found that the extractants with six-membered ring side chains possess an extraction ability slightly better than that of the ligands with five-membered ring side chains and that the ligands with a pair of adjacent N atoms on the side chains have a stronger separation selectivity for the Am(III)/Eu(III) ions. The theoretical research in this work will help to understand the details of binding and extraction properties of similar ligands and provide insights for the future design of five- and six-membered heterocyclic ligands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qijie Huang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715 P. R. China
| | - Yu Ting Liang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715 P. R. China
| | - An Yong Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715 P. R. China
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Liang YT, Bai SQ, Zhang YY, Li AY. Theoretical Study on the Coordination and Separation Capacity of Macrocyclic N-Donor Extractants for Am(III)/Eu(III). J Phys Chem A 2023; 127:6865-6880. [PMID: 37583058 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.3c01629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Designing ligands that can effectively separate actinide An(III)/lanthanide Ln(III) in the solvent extraction process remains one of the key issues in the treatment of accumulated spent nuclear fuel. Nitrogen donor ligands are considered as promising extractants for the separation of An(III) and Ln(III) due to their environmental friendliness. Four new macrocyclic N-donor hexadentate extractants were designed and their coordination with Am(III) and Eu(III), as well as their extraction selectivity and separation performance for Am(III) and Eu(III), were investigated by scalar relativistic density functional theory. A variety of theoretical methods have been used to evaluate the properties of the four ligands and the coordination structures, bonding properties, and thermodynamic properties of the complexes formed by the four ligands with Am(III) and Eu(III). The results of various wavefunction analysis methods including NBO analysis, quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) analysis, and so on show that Am(III) has a stronger coordination ability with the ligands than Eu(III) due to the Am 5f orbitals more involved in bonding with the ligands than the Eu 4f orbitals, and the bonding environment of the N-donor in the ligand has a significant effect on its coordination ability of the metal ions. Thermodynamic analysis of the solvent extraction process shows that all of the four N-containing macrocyclic ligands have good extraction selectivity and separation performance for Am(III) and Eu(III). This study provides theoretical support for designing potential nitrogen-containing macrocyclic extractants with excellent separation performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Ting Liang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, P. R. China
| | - Shan Qin Bai
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, P. R. China
| | - Yi Ying Zhang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, P. R. China
| | - An Yong Li
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, P. R. China
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Galluccio F, Macerata E, Weßling P, Adam C, Mossini E, Panzeri W, Mariani M, Mele A, Geist A, Panak PJ. Insights into the Complexation Mechanism of a Promising Lipophilic PyTri Ligand for Actinide Partitioning from Spent Nuclear Fuel. Inorg Chem 2022; 61:18400-18411. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c02332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Galluccio
- Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milano20133, Italy
| | - Elena Macerata
- Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milano20133, Italy
| | - Patrik Weßling
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal (INE), P.O. Box 3640, Karlsruhe76021, Germany
- Institute for Physical Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 253, Heidelberg69120, Germany
| | - Christian Adam
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal (INE), P.O. Box 3640, Karlsruhe76021, Germany
| | - Eros Mossini
- Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milano20133, Italy
| | - Walter Panzeri
- C.N.R.─Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “G. Natta” (SCITEC), Sezione “U.O.S. Milano Politecnico”, Milan20133, Italy
| | - Mario Mariani
- Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milano20133, Italy
| | - Andrea Mele
- C.N.R.─Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “G. Natta” (SCITEC), Sezione “U.O.S. Milano Politecnico”, Milan20133, Italy
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “G. Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, Milano20133, Italy
| | - Andreas Geist
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal (INE), P.O. Box 3640, Karlsruhe76021, Germany
| | - Petra J. Panak
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal (INE), P.O. Box 3640, Karlsruhe76021, Germany
- Institute for Physical Chemistry, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 253, Heidelberg69120, Germany
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Novel phenanthroline-derived pyrrolidone ligands for efficient uranium separation: Liquid-liquid extraction, spectroscopy, and molecular simulations. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.119909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Wilden A, Schneider D, Paparigas Z, Henkes M, Kreft F, Geist A, Mossini E, Macerata E, Mariani M, Gullo MC, Casnati A, Modolo G. Selective actinide(III) separation using 2,6-bis[1-(propan-1-ol)-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl]pyridine (PyTri-Diol) in the innovative-SANEX process: laboratory scale counter current centrifugal contactor demonstration. RADIOCHIM ACTA 2022. [DOI: 10.1515/ract-2022-0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
An innovative-SANEX process for the selective separation of the trivalent actinides americium and curium from a simulated PUREX raffinate solution was successfully demonstrated on the laboratory scale using a 16-stage 1 cm annular centrifugal contactor setup. The solvent was composed of 0.2 mol L−1
N,N,N′,N′-tetra-n-octyl-diglycolamide (TODGA) and 5% v/v 1-octanol in a kerosene diluent. Zr(IV) and Pd(II) co-extraction was prevented using trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid (CDTA) as a masking agent in the feed. The actinide(III) selective back-extraction was achieved using 2,6-bis[1-(propan-1-ol)-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl]pyridine (PyTri-Diol) in 0.45 mol L−1 HNO3 as a CHON alternative to the sulfur-containing stripping agent used in a previous version of the innovative-SANEX process. The new process described in this paper showed excellent performance for the recovery of An(III). An An(III) product with a quasi-quantitative recovery of americium and curium (≥99.9%) and very good separation from fission and activation products was obtained (decontamination factors ≥4000). Only a slight contamination with Zr and Ru was observed. This test demonstrates the successful use of molecules containing only carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen atoms (so-called CHON molecules) for the selective separation of An(III) from a simulated PUREX raffinate solution. By avoiding sulfur- or phosphorous-containing molecules, the generation of secondary radioactive waste during process operation can be reduced drastically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Wilden
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institut für Energie – und Klimaforschung – Nukleare Entsorgung und Reaktorsicherheit (IEK-6) , 52428 Jülich , Germany
| | - Dimitri Schneider
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institut für Energie – und Klimaforschung – Nukleare Entsorgung und Reaktorsicherheit (IEK-6) , 52428 Jülich , Germany
| | - Zaina Paparigas
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institut für Energie – und Klimaforschung – Nukleare Entsorgung und Reaktorsicherheit (IEK-6) , 52428 Jülich , Germany
| | - Maximilian Henkes
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institut für Energie – und Klimaforschung – Nukleare Entsorgung und Reaktorsicherheit (IEK-6) , 52428 Jülich , Germany
| | - Fabian Kreft
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institut für Energie – und Klimaforschung – Nukleare Entsorgung und Reaktorsicherheit (IEK-6) , 52428 Jülich , Germany
| | - Andreas Geist
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal (INE) , 76021 Karlsruhe , Germany
| | - Eros Mossini
- Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano , 20133 Milano , Italy
| | - Elena Macerata
- Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano , 20133 Milano , Italy
| | - Mario Mariani
- Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano , 20133 Milano , Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Gullo
- Department of Chemistry , Università di Parma, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability , 43124 Parma , Italy
| | - Alessandro Casnati
- Department of Chemistry , Università di Parma, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability , 43124 Parma , Italy
| | - Giuseppe Modolo
- Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institut für Energie – und Klimaforschung – Nukleare Entsorgung und Reaktorsicherheit (IEK-6) , 52428 Jülich , Germany
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Ye ZR, Wu QY, Wang CZ, Lan JH, Chai ZF, Wang HQ, Shi WQ. Theoretical Insights into the Selective Separation of Am(III)/Eu(III) Using Hydrophilic Triazolyl-Based Ligands. Inorg Chem 2022; 61:6110-6119. [PMID: 35416038 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c00232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Designing ligands with efficient actinide (An(III))/lanthanide (Ln(III)) separation performance is still one of the key issues for the disposal of accumulated radioactive waste and the recovery of minor actinides. Recently, the hydrophilic ligands as promising extractants in the innovative Selective ActiNide Extraction (i-SANEX) process show excellent selectivity for Am(III) over Eu(III), such as hydroxylated-based ligands. In this work, we investigated the selective back-extraction toward Am(III) over Eu(III) with three hydrophilic hydroxylated triazolyl-based ligands (the skeleton of pyridine La, bipyridine Lb, and phenanthroline Lc) using scalar-relativistic density functional theory. The properties of three hydrophilic hydroxylated ligands and the coordination structures, bonding nature, and thermodynamic properties of the Am(III) and Eu(III) complexes with three ligands have been evaluated using multiple theoretical methods. The results of molecular orbitals (MOs), quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIMs), and natural bond orbital (NBO) reveal that Am-N bonds possess more covalent character compared to Eu-N bonds. The thermodynamic results indicate that the complexing ability of Lb and Lc with metal ions is almost the same, which is stronger than that of La. However, La has the best Am(III)/Eu(III) selectivity among three ligands, which is attributed to the largest difference in covalency between Am-Ntrzl and Eu-Ntrzl bonds in MLa(NO3)3. This work provides an in-depth understanding of the preferential selectivity of the hydrophilic hydroxylated ligands with An(III) over Ln(III) and also provides theoretical support for designing potential hydrophilic ligands with excellent separation performance of Am(III)/Eu(III).
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Rong Ye
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China.,Laboratory of Nuclear Energy Chemistry, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qun-Yan Wu
- Laboratory of Nuclear Energy Chemistry, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Cong-Zhi Wang
- Laboratory of Nuclear Energy Chemistry, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jian-Hui Lan
- Laboratory of Nuclear Energy Chemistry, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhi-Fang Chai
- Laboratory of Nuclear Energy Chemistry, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hong-Qing Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of South China, Hengyang 421001, China
| | - Wei-Qun Shi
- Laboratory of Nuclear Energy Chemistry, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Ossola A, Mossini E, Macerata E, Panzeri W, Mele A, Mariani M. Promising Lipophilic PyTri Extractant for Selective Trivalent Actinide Separation from High Active Raffinate. Ind Eng Chem Res 2022; 61:4436-4444. [PMID: 35370355 PMCID: PMC8972958 DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.2c00104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
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Within a spent nuclear
fuel recycling strategy, in the past few
years, the pyridine-bis-triazole unit was found to be rather effective
and selective in minor actinide (MA) separation from synthetic high
active raffinate (HAR). In this research work, the main features of
the recently studied PTEH ligand were investigated in
order to evaluate its potentialities in SANEX-like processes. Its
applicability in advanced separation processes was demonstrated, even
at process temperatures. It manifested satisfactory extraction properties
for a successful selective An separation from Ln, easy cation release,
and adequate extraction kinetics as well as outstanding hydrolytical
and radiolytical stability. All the results collected in this work
allowed the scientists on the committee of the H2020 GENIORS project
to promote PTEH as a concrete alternative to the reference
CyMe4-BTBP ligand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Ossola
- Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza L. da Vinci 32, I-20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Eros Mossini
- Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza L. da Vinci 32, I-20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Elena Macerata
- Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza L. da Vinci 32, I-20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Walter Panzeri
- C.N.R. − Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “G. Natta” (SCITEC), Sezione “U.O.S. Milano Politecnico”, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Andrea Mele
- C.N.R. − Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche “G. Natta” (SCITEC), Sezione “U.O.S. Milano Politecnico”, 20133 Milano, Italy
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “G. Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza L. da Vinci, 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Mario Mariani
- Department of Energy, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza L. da Vinci 32, I-20133 Milano, Italy
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