The heavy metals composing spent nuclear fuels (SNF) first must be separated via extraction in order to be purified and reused. In efforts to improve current SNF remediation processes, the known [2-Me2NCH2)C6H4]3Sb or Hyp3Sb ligand was investigated for potential extraction of the actinides and lanthanides found in SNF. This ligand was computationally modeled as complexes with Pu(IV) and La(III) and found to have optimal bond lengths and angles. Experimental data of this series of metal-ligand complexes has shown the success of the antimony-based ligand to coordinate La(III), Sm (III), Dy (III), and Tb (III). Also investigated was an oxidized version of the antimony ligand. The computational analysis and synthesis of these metal-ligand complexes will be presented.

Hyp3Sb for separation of heavy metals

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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