Understanding Am 3+ /Cm 3+ separation with H 4 TPAEN and its hydrophilic derivatives: a quantum chemical study

Am3+/Cm3+ separation is an extremely hard but important task in nuclear waste treatment. In this study, Am and Cm complexes formed with a back-extraction agent N,N,N',N'-tetrakis[(6-carboxypyridin-2-yl)methyl]ethylene-diamine (H4TPAEN) and its two derivatives with hydrophilic substituents...

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Published in:Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP 2018-05, Vol.20 (20), p.14031-14039
Main Authors: Huang, Pin-Wen, Wang, Cong-Zhi, Wu, Qun-Yan, Lan, Jian-Hui, Song, Gang, Chai, Zhi-Fang, Shi, Wei-Qun
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Am3+/Cm3+ separation is an extremely hard but important task in nuclear waste treatment. In this study, Am and Cm complexes formed with a back-extraction agent N,N,N',N'-tetrakis[(6-carboxypyridin-2-yl)methyl]ethylene-diamine (H4TPAEN) and its two derivatives with hydrophilic substituents (methoxy and morpholine groups) were investigated using the density functional theory (DFT). The optimized geometrical structures indicated that the Am3+ cation matched better with the cavities of the three studied ligands than Cm3+, and the Am3+ cations were located deeper in the cavities of the ligands. The bond order and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) analyses suggested that ionic interactions dominated An-N and An-O (An = Cm and Am) bonds. However, weak and different extents of partial covalency could also be found in the Am-N and Cm-N bonds. The O donor atoms in the carboxylate groups preferably coordinated with Cm3+ rather than Am3+, whereas the N atoms preferred Am3+. Therefore, the Am3+/Cm3+ selectivity of H4TPAEN and its two hydrophilic derivatives may be ascribed to the competition between the An-N and An-O interactions and the few dissimilarities in their geometrical structures. Based on our calculations, the methoxy and morpholine groups in the two derivatives can serve as electron-donating groups and enhance the strength of the An-NPY bonds (NPY denotes the nitrogen atom of pyridine ring). When compared with the Am-complex, the Cm-complex exhibited significant strength effect, resulting in the relatively lower Am3+/Cm3+ separation ability of the H4TPAEN's hydrophilic derivatives.
ISSN:1463-9076
1463-9084
DOI:10.1039/C7CP08441B