Synthesis of Pre‐Organized Bisdiglycolamides (BisDGA) and Study of their Extraction Properties for Actinides(III) and Lanthanides(III)

Abstract

Bisdiglycolamides 1–9 were synthesized and studied as extracting agents for An(III) and Ln(III) from nitric acid solutions. Compounds 1d‐3 with rigid spacers as m‐xylylene and 6b‐9 with more flexible alkyl chain linkers, show higher selectivity for Eu(III) extraction over Am(III) than diglycolamides (TBDGA, DMDODGA, TODGA) in (50:50)_%Vol HPT/1‐octanol mixture. Am(III) and Eu(III) extraction kinetics are very fast and back‐extraction with more than 99% efficiency of both cations is possible after four times of contact of the loaded solvent with fresh 0.01 mol/L nitric acid solutions.

Keywords:

• Diglycolamides
• lanthanides
• actinides
• high‐level waste
• extractants

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work was financially supported by grants from EUROPART (FI6W‐CT‐2003‐508854) and ENRESA. The authors would like to thank Mrs. Mónica Glez Montero for her valuable technical work in the extraction assays.

Notes

This work is dedicated to Prof. Charles Madic who passed away recently.

| Current address: Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ) Av. Països Catalans 16, 43007‐Tarragona. Spain.