The selective removal of uranyl from seawater is a daunting challenge due to the large number of competing ions and low concentration.  The current state-of-the-art technology for these extractions is an amidoxime-functionalized polymer braid.  Experimental results have revealed inclusion of secondary functionalities, such as carboxylic acids or phosphates, can increase uranyl affinity and sorption capacity, while computational data suggest carboxylic acids may aid in the rate-determining dissociation of carbonate from the highly stable uranyl carbonate species found in seawater.  However, the limited control of carboxylic acid incorporation into polymer braids obfuscates both the actual uranyl coordination environment and the role of the carboxylic acid in binding.  Preparation of a single molecule containing pre-arranged uranyl-binding functionalities eliminates this uncertainty and affords investigation of uranyl binding through a variety of techniques.  In this talk, we will present our efforts towards design and optimization of bifunctional amidoxime-carboxylic acid uranyl chelators.  Initial studies of uranyl-affinity were performed<i> in silico</i>, in addition to investigating vanadate bonding.  The synthesis, characterization, and sorption data of bifunctional chelators will also be presented, providing experimental comparison with computational results, as well as yielding greater insight to the role of cooperative sorbent interactions in the selective extraction of uranyl.<br/>

Development of bifunctional chelators for selective extraction of uranium from seawater<br />

249th National Meeting (2015)

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