Extraction of 244Cm Using 3,3′-Dibutyloxyphenyl-bis-1,2,4-Triazinyl-2,6-Pyridine as a Bipolar Complexant: A Fundamental, density functional theory, and Spectroscopic Study

Defining effective separation processes to extract the minor actinides from lanthanides remains a significant challenge in the expansion of nuclear power as a greener alternative to carbon-based energy. Minor actinides, Am, Cm, and Np, are routinely produced as byproducts of nuclear fission and present numerous challenges for separation from the neutron-poisoning lanthanides, including similar oxidation states, cationic radii, and coordination number. Transmutation of the minor actinides to fast-neutron reactors to decrease the radiotoxicity and volume of high-level waste stored in a geologic repository necessarily demands chemoselective isolation strategies. In this work, a comprehensive biphasic extraction, theoretical, and spectroscopic study using the recently discovered soft-N-donor, bipolar complexant, 3,3′-dibutyloxy-phenyl-bis-[1,2,4]-triazinyl-2,6,-pyridine (BOB-BTP) for ²⁴⁴Cm³⁺ extraction is described. Solvent extraction, density functional theory, and spectroscopic data are reported herein.