Structural study of complexes formed by acidic and neutral organophosphorus reagents

The coordination of the trivalent 4f ions, Ln = La³⁺, Dy³⁺, and Lu³⁺, with neutral and acidic organophosphorus reagents, both individually and combined, was studied by use of X-ray absorption spectroscopy. These studies provide metrical information about the interatomic interactions between these cations and the ligands tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP) and di-n-butyl phosphoric acid (HDBP), whose behavior are of practical importance to chemical separation processes that are currently used on an industrial scale. Previous studies have suggested the existence of complexes involving a mixture of ligands, accounting for extraction synergy. Through systematic variation of the aqueous phase acidity and extractant concentration and combination, we have found that complexes with Ln and TBP : HDBP at any mixture and HDBP alone involve direct Ln-O interactions involving 6 oxygen atoms and distant Ln-P interactions involving on average 3-5 phosphorus atoms per Ln ion. It was also found that Ln complexes formed by TBP alone seem to favor eight oxygen coordination, though we were unable to obtain metrical results regarding the distant Ln-P interactions due to the low signal attributed to a lower concentration of Ln ions in the organic phases. Our study does not support the existence of mixed Ln-TBP-HDBP complexes but, rather, indicates that the lanthanides are extracted as either Ln-HDBP complexes or Ln-TBP complexes and that these complexes exist in different ratios depending on the conditions of the extraction system. This fundamental structural information offers insight into the solvent extraction processes that are taking place and are of particular importance to issues arising from the separation and disposal of radioactive materials from used nuclear fuel.