(538c) Redox-Active Ligands Designed to Promote Am Separation from CM and Lanthanide Fission Products in Spent Nuclear Fuel

This project employs a modification of the covalent p-acceptor strategy, using non-innocent redox-active o-catecholate ligands (and related 1,2-disubstituted N- and S-containing
derivatives) to take advantage of the capacity for Am to access higher
oxidation states, which offers an attractive option to separate a chemically
distinct Am⁴⁺ species from Cm³⁺ and the trivalent
lanthanides. U(III) and Ce(III) complexes are used as homologues for Am(III)
and Eu(III). The electronic factors that govern the role of the valence
orbitals in covalent bonding and redox reactivity are a major focus of this
project, as are the kinetic and thermodynamic processes occurring in solution.
Ligand systems showing promising contrasts between U and Ce will be modified
for extraction experiments with radiotracer ¹⁵²Eu under conditions
that mimic those to be used on spent fuel samples.