Selective extraction of trivalent actinides using CyMeBTPhen in the ionic liquid Aliquat-336 nitrate.

The extraction of Am(iii), Cm(iii) and Eu(iii) by 2,9-bis(5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-1,2,4-benzotriazin-3-yl)-1,10-phenanthroline (CyMeBTPhen) from nitric acid solution was studied using the ionic liquid Aliquat-336 nitrate ([A336][NO]) as diluent. Results show a high selectivity of the solvent for Am(iii) and Cm(iii) over Eu(iii), but rather slow extraction kinetics. The kinetics of CyMeBTPhen were largely improved by the addition of 0.005 mol L ,,','-tetra--octyl-diglycolamide (TODGA) as a phase transfer reagent and by the use of 1-octanol as co-diluent. The addition of the phase transfer catalyst and co-diluent did not compromise the selectivity towards the actinide/lanthanide separation and thus this four-component system can be successfully applied to separate Am(iii) and Cm(iii) from the lanthanides.