The separation of minor actinides (namely Am and Cm) and lanthanides is a critical step proposed in several advanced nuclear fuel cycles, yet it remains a difficult separation owing to their similar chemical properties and redox chemistry dominated by a common +3 oxidation state. In this presentation, I will describe preliminary efforts aimed at preparing new multidentate ligands that contain hemilabile soft-donor sites capable of discriminating between trivalent lanthanides and actinides. The syntheses and structures of several new f-element coordination complexes will be reported.

Heteroditopic, soft donor ligands: Emerging opportunities for actinide/lanthanide separations

251st National Meeting (2016)

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