Stability of <Emphasis Type="Italic">iso</Emphasis>Hex-BTP/SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-P adsorbent against acidic hydrolysis and γ-irradiation

Separation of trivalent minor actinides (MA(III): Am(III), Cm(III)) from fission products (FP) in high-level liquid waste (HLLW) is an important task in advanced nuclear-fuel reprocessing systems. For this purpose, an advanced aqueous partitioning process based on extraction chromatography method was studied. Because R-BTP extractants (R-BTP: 2,6-bis(5,6-dialkyl-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)pyridine, R = alkyl group) exhibit high selectivity for MA(III) over trivalent rare-earth elements (RE(III)), a novel adsorbent isoHex-BTP/SiO₂-P was prepared by impregnating isoHex-BTP extractant into the macroporous SiO₂-P support with a mean diameter of 60 μm. The stability of isoHex-BTP/SiO₂-P against nitric acid and γ-irradiation was investigated. It was found that isoHex-BTP/SiO₂-P adsorbent shows good adsorption affinity to Dy(III). The hydrolytic and radiolytic stability of isoHex-BTP/SiO₂-P adsorbent in 0.01 mol/L HNO₃ was fairly promising. However, the adsorption amount Q of Dy(III) decreased dramatically in 3 mol/L HNO₃ with the increase of the absorbed dose and became nearly zero at the absorbed dose over 46 kGy. These results suggest that with the synergetic effect of radiation and acidic hydrolysis, the adsorbent instantly loses its efficacy.     

Adsorption behavior of trivalent americium and rare earth ions onto a macroporous silica-based isobutyl-BTP/SiO2-P adsorbent in nitric acid solution

To separate minor actinides from high level liquid waste (HLLW) of PUREX reprocessing, a silica-based macroporous isobutyl-BTP/SiO₂-P adsorbent was synthesized by impregnating isobutyl-BTP (2,6-di(5,6-diisobutyl-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)pyridine) extractant into the macroporous SiO₂-P support with a mean diameter of 60 μm. A partitioning process using extraction chromatography for the treatment of HLLW was designed consisting five separation columns. As a partly work focused on isobutyl-BTP/SiO₂-P separation column, adsorption behavior of ²⁴¹Am and trivalent rare earth (RE) from simulated HLLW onto silica-based isobutyl-BTP/SiO₂-P adsorbent was investigated by batch method. Meanwhile, the chemical and radiolytic stabilities of isobutyl-BTP/SiO₂-P adsorbent against 0.01 M HNO₃ solution and γ-ray irradiation were studied. It was found that isobutyl-BTP/SiO₂-P adsorbent exhibited good adsorption selectivity for ²⁴¹Am over RE(III) in 0.01 M HNO₃ solution and showed weak or no adsorption affinity to light and middle RE(III) groups. In addition, in stability experiments, isobutyl-BTP adsorbent showed excellent stability against 0.01 M HNO₃ solution and γ-ray irradiation over 4 months contact time.     

Evaluation study on properties of isohexyl-BTP/SiO2-P resin for direct separation of trivalent minor actinides from HLLW

In order to develop a direct separation process for trivalent minor actinides from fission products in high level liquid waste (HLLW) by extraction chromatography, a novel macroporous silica-based 2,6-bis(5,6-diisohexyl)-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)pyridine resin (isohexyl-BTP/SiO₂-P resin) was prepared. The content of isohexyl-BTP extractant in the resin was as high as 33.3 wt%. The resin exhibited much higher adsorption affinity for Am(III) in 2–3 M (mol/L) HNO₃ solution over U and FP which are contained in HLLW. The kinetic data were analyzed using pseudo-second-order equation. The results suggested that the Eu(III), Gd(III), and Dy(III) adsorption was well explained by the pseudo-second-order equation. Quantitative desorption for adsorbed elements was achieved by using H₂O or thiourea as eluting agents. However, the kinetics of adsorption and desorption were rather slow and this drawback needs to be resolved. Stability of the resin against HNO₃ was also examined. It was found that the resin was considerably stable against ≤4 M HNO₃ solution for the reasons of an extremely small leakage of the extractant into the solution from the resin and the adsorption performance keeping for rare earths in 3 M HNO₃ solution.     

A novel partitioning process for treatment of high level liquid waste using macroporous silica-based adsorbents

To separate the long-life and significant fission product elements from high level liquid waste (HLLW), a novel partitioning process for the treatment of HLLW has been studied experimentally based on column separation technique using macroporous silica-based adsorbents. This process consists of (1) Cs and Rb are removed by the first separation column packed with (calix[4] + dodecanol)/SiO₂–P adsorbent; (2) Sr and Ba are eluted out by the second separation column packed with (DtBuCH18C6 + dodecanol)/SiO₂–P adsorbent; (3) Pd is partitioned by the third separation column packed with MOTDGA–TOA/SiO₂–P adsorbent; (4) Ru, Rh and Mo can be separated by the fourth separation column packed with TODGA/SiO₂–P adsorbent; (5) Am is separated from RE by the fifth column is packed with isobutyl-BTP/SiO₂–P adsorbent. The experimental results indicated that this partitioning process is essentially feasible.     

Preparation of a novel macroporous silica-based 2,6-bis(5,6-diisobutyl-1,2,4-triazine-3-yl)pyridine impregnated polymeric composite and its application in the adsorption for trivalent rare earths

A novel macroporous silica-based 2,6-bis(5,6-diisobutyl-1,2,4-triazine-3-yl)pyridine (iso-Bu-BTP), a neutral chelating agent having several softatom nitrogen, polymeric composite (iso-Bu-BTP/SiO₂-P) was synthesized. It was done through impregnation and immobilization of iso-Bu-BTP molecule into the pores of SiO₂-P particles with 40–60 μm of bead diameter and 0.6 μm of mean pore size. The effective impregnation resulted from the intermolecular interaction of iso-Bu-BTP and co-polymer inside the SiO₂-P particles by a vacuum sucking technique. To understand the possibility of applying iso-Bu-BTP in the MAREC process developed, the adsorption behavior of a few representative rare earths (REs) such as Ce(III), Nd(III), Gd(III), Dy(III), Er(III), Yb(III), and Y(III) towards iso-Bu-BTP/SiO₂-P was investigated at 298 K. The influence of the HNO₃ concentration in a wide range of pH 5.52–3.0M and a few chelating agents such as formic acid, citric acid, and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) on the adsorption of RE(III) was examined. It was found that in the presence of chelating agent, the adsorption ability of the tested RE(III) towards iso-Bu-BTP/SiO₂-P decreased due to two competition reactions of RE(III) with iso-Bu-BTP/SiO₂-P and chelating agents. In a 0.01M HNO₃ solution containing 1M formic acid or 1M citric acid, light RE(III) showed lower adsorption towards iso-Bu-BTP/SiO₂-P than that of the heavy one. This makes the separation of light RE(III) from the heavy one possible. Based on the similarity of minor actinides and heavy RE(III) in chemical properties and the results of column separation experiments, chromatographic partitioning of light RE(III) from a simulated high level liquid waste solution composed of the heavy RE(III) and minor actinides in MAREC process is promising.     

Systematic Modifications of BTP-type Ligands and Effects on the Separation of Trivalent Lanthanides and Actinides

In this study the separation of Am(III) from Eu(III) in nitric acid using two BTP-type N-donor ligands, 2,6-bis(6-ethyl-1,2–diazine-3-yl)pyridine (Et-BDP) and 2,6-bis(4-ⁿpropyl-2,3,5,6-tetrazine-1-yl)pyridine (ⁿPr-tetrazine) is presented. The extraction and separation properties of both ligands are tested by two phase liquid-liquid extraction at different acid concentrations. In contrast to ⁿPr-BTP the bisdiazinyl ligand Et-BDP is prone to protonation at nitric acid concentrations of 0.2 M and higher. A separation factor of SF_Am/Eu ≈ 5 is obtained using Et-BDP as extracting ligand and with ⁿPr-tetrazine a SF_Am/Eu of 9.1 is realized. Hereby 2-bromodecanoic acid as lipophilic anion source is needed.     

Transfer hydrogenation of ketones catalyzed by 2,6‐bis(triazinyl)pyridine ruthenium complexes: The influence of alkyl arms

The transfer hydrogenation of ketones catalyzed by transition metal complexes has attracted much attention. A series of ruthenium(II) complexes bearing 2,6-bis(5,6-dialkyl-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)pyridine ligands (R-BTPs) were synthesized and characterized by NMR analysis and X-ray diffraction. These ruthenium(II) complexes were applied in the transfer hydrogenation of ketones. Their different catalytic activity were attributed to the alkyl arms on the 2,6-bis(5,6-dialkyl-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)pyridine. As the length of the alkyl arms rising, the catalytic activities of the complex catalysts decreased. By means of 0.4 mol % catalyst RuCl₂(PPh₃)(3-methylbutyl-BTP) in refluxing 2-propanol, a variety of ketones were reduced to their corresponding alcohols with >95% conversion over a period of 3 h. © 2019 Elsevier Science. All rights reserved.     

Synthesis of 2,6-di(pyrazol-1-yl)-4-bromomethylpyridine, and its conversion to other 2,6-di(pyrazol-1-yl)pyridines substituted at the pyridine ring

Two routes to 2,6-di(pyrazol-1-yl)-4-hydroxymethylpyridine (1) from 2,6-dihydroxy-isonicotinic acid, in four and six steps, are reported. Reaction of 1 with 48% HBr yields 2,6-di(pyrazol-1-yl)-4-bromomethylpyridine (2), which is a powerful precursor to a range of new tridentate ligands for transition metals functionalised at the pyridine ring. As a proof of principle, we describe the further elaboration of 2 to give two 2,6-di(pyrazol-1-yl)pyridines bearing nucleobase substituents, and the back-to-back ligand 1,2-bis[2,6-di(pyrazol-1-yl)pyrid-4-yl]ethane. Crystal structures of two of these new derivatives are presented.     

An advanced partitioning process for key elements separation from high level liquid waste

To separate MA(Am,Cm) and some fission product elements(FPs) such as Tc,Pd,Cs and Sr from high level liquid waste(HLLW) systematically,we have been studying an advanced aqueous partitioning process,which uses selective adsorption as the separation method.For this process,we prepared several novel adsorbents which were immobilized in a porous silica/polymer composite support(SiO 2-P).Adsorption and separation behavior of various elements was studied experimentally in detail.Small scale separation tests using simulated HLLW solutions were carried out.Pd(II) was strongly adsorbed by the AR-01 anion exchanger and effectively eluted off by using thiourea.Successful separation of Pd(II) from simulated HLLW was achieved.Tc(VII) also exhibited strong adsorption on AR-01 and could be eluted off by using U(IV) as a reductive eluent.Am(III) presented significantly high adsorbability and selectivity onto R-BTP/SiO 2-P adsorbents over various FPs including Ln(III).The R-BTP adsorbents were fairly stable in 3 M HNO 3,but instable against-irradiation-3M HNO 3.An advanced partitioning process consisting of three separation columns for the target elements separation from HLLW was proposed and the obtained experiment results indicated that the proposed process is essentially feasible.     

Impregnation synthesis of a novel macroporous silica-based TODGA polymeric composite and its application in the adsorption of rare earths in nitric acid solution containing diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid

A macroporous silica-based N,N,N′,N′-tetraoctyl-3-oxapentane-1,5-diamide (TODGA) polymeric composite (TODGA/SiO₂-P) was synthesized. It was done through impregnation and immobilization of TODGA molecule into the pores of the SiO₂-P particles utilizing a vacuum sucking technique. The macroporous SiO₂-P particles were the silica-based organic/inorganic composite synthesized by immobilizing styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer inside SiO₂ through the complicated polymerization reaction. The adsorption of rare earth (RE(III)) elements onto TODGA/SiO₂-P was investigated in HNO₃ solution containing diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), an acidic multi-dentate chelating agent. It was found that in the presence of 0.05 M DTPA, and H⁺ had significant effect on the TODGA/SiO₂-P adsorption due to the competition reactions of RE(III) with different species, H₄DTPA⁻ and H₂DTPA³⁻. With an increase in the concentration of from 0.115 M to 3.015 M, the adsorption of RE(III) onto TODGA/SiO₂-P increased noticeably. On the other hand, RE(III) showed strong adsorption at 0.1 M H⁺, weak adsorption at around pH 2, and no adsorption in excess of pH 2.3. In a 0.1 M H⁺-0.115 M -0.05 M DTPA solution, a change of the distribution coefficient of RE(III) onto TODGA/SiO₂-P with an increase in atomic number of RE(III) from La(III) to Lu(III) was investigated. The silica-based TODGA/SiO₂-P polymeric composite showed strong adsorption for heavy RE(III) over the light one. In a 0.01 M H⁺-1.0 M -0.05 M DTPA solution, the effect of the ratio of solid phase to liquid one on the relationship of the distribution coefficient of RE(III) with the change in atomic number of RE(III) was also studied. Based on the complicated disassociation equilibrium of DTPA, the influence of the concentrations of and H⁺ on the adsorption of TODGA/SiO₂-P for RE(III) was demonstrated. This makes the partitioning of RE(III) and MA(III) together from high level liquid waste (HLLW) by the polymeric composite TODGA/SiO₂-P promising.     

Syntheses and structures of the cobalt, nickel, and zinc complexes with 1,4-diaza-1,3-butadiene ligands

Several cobalt(II), nickel(II), and zinc(II) complexes with a series of ligands of the 1,4-diaza-1,3-butadiene type bearing aryl (2,6-di-iso-propylphenyl, mesityl) and alkyl (tert-butyl, iso-propyl) substituents at the nitrogen atoms are synthesized. The obtained complexes are characterized by X-ray structure analysis, IR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis.     

Ruthenium(II) and palladium(II) complexes with 2,6-(bispyrazol-1-yl)pyridines

Ruthenium(II) and palladium(II) complexes [Ru(DMSO)(L)Cl₂] and [Pd(L)Cl]Cl, where L = 2,6-bis(pyrazol-1-yl)pyridine (bpp) or 2,6-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)pyridine (bdmpp) have been synthesized. All complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, ¹H NMR, UV-Vis, and cyclic voltammetry measurements.     

Regioselective synthesis of optically active (pyrazolyl)pyridines with adjacent quaternary carbon stereocenter: chiral N,N-donating ligands

Novel optically active 2-(pyrazol-1-yl)pyridines have been prepared using resolved the O-methyl ether of atrolactic acid as a source of the adjacent quaternary carbon stereocenter. Different regioisomers were formed selectively in the reaction of 2-hydrazinopyridines with the chiral 1,3-diketone and in the nucleophilic substitution of 2-chloropyridines with the potassium salt of the chiral pyrazole. The second route gave 2-(pyrazol-1-yl)pyridines with the stereogenic center neighboring the coordinating nitrogen in the pyrazole ring. Also, new C₂-symmetric chiral ligands based on 2,6-bis(pyrazolyl)pyridine and 6,6′-bis(pirazolyl)-2,2′-bipyridine structures were obtained.     

Oxido-pincer complexes of copper(II) - An EXAFS and EPR study of mono- and binuclear [(pydotH2)CuCl2]n (n = 1 or 2)

The oxido-pincer ligand pydotH₂ (2,6-bis(1-hydroxy-1-o-tolyl-ethyl-η²O,O′)pyridine) forms two different Cu^II containing complexes when prepared from anhydrous CuCl₂. A combination of EPR spectroscopy and EXAFS allowed to structurally characterise the light-green dimer of the formula [(pydotH₂)CuCl(μ-Cl)₂ClCu(pydotH₂)] and the penta-coordinate olive-green monomer [(pydotH₂)CuCl₂]. The molecular entities imply that the ligand remains protonated upon coordination. When dissolved in DMF both compounds form monomeric species [(pydotH₂)CuCl₂(DMF)] which could be characterised in detail by EPR, UV-Vis/NIR spectroscopy and electrochemical measurements. The assignments were supported by comparison with Cu^II complexes of the related ligands 2,6-bis(hydroxymethyl)pyridine (pydimH₂) and 2,6-bis(1-hydroxy-1-methyl)pyridine (pydipH₂).     

Two pseudo-N3 ligands and the catalytic activity of their ruthenium(II) complexes in transfer hydrogenation and hydrogenation of ketones

Complex RuCl₂(PPh₃)(iBu-BTP) (5) was synthesized by the reaction of 2,6-bis(5,6-bis(iso-butyl)-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)pyridine (iBu-BTP) and RuCl₂(PPh₃)₃ in refluxing toluene, and its molecular structure was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic determination. Complex 5 was applied as a catalyst for transfer hydrogenation of ketones and exhibited catalytic activity comparable to RuCl₂(PPh₃)(Me₄BPPy) (1) (Me₄BPPy = bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)pyridine) in some cases. The difference between the catalytic activity of 5 and 1 is attributed to the significantly different arrangement and positions of the PPh₃ and chlorides and also to the different electron density on the N-heterocycles. Complex 1 exhibited good to excellent catalytic activity in hydrogenation of ketones under mild conditions. These results have suggested new applications of iBu-BTP and Me₄BPPy as promising planar tridentate pseudo-N₃ ligands to construct highly active transition-metal catalysts.     

Adsorption behavior of Me2-CA-BTP/SiO2-P adsorbent toward MA(III) and Ln(III) in nitrate solution

A porous Me₂-CA-BTP/SiO₂-P adsorbent was prepared to separate MA(III) from Ln(III) in high level liquid waste (HLLW). The adsorption behavior of Me₂-CA-BTP/SiO₂-P toward ²⁴¹Am(III) and Ln(III) in 0.01 M HNO₃-NaNO₃ solution was studied. Me₂-CA-BTP/SiO₂-P showed high adsorption and selectivity toward ²⁴¹Am(III) over Ln(III) fission products with the separation factor (SF) reaching to 557, 2355, 1952, 1082, 214, 105, 86, 14 for Y, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd and Dy respectively in 0.01 M HNO₃-0.99 M NaNO₃ solution. The adsorption kinetics of both Dy(III) and Eu(III) on Me₂-CA-BTP/SiO₂-P was studied and followed pseudo-second-order rate equation indicating chemical sorption as the rate-limiting step of the adsorption, and the adsorption isotherm of Dy(III) and Eu(III) matched better with the Langmuir isotherm than the Freundlich isotherm with the adsorption amount around 0.22 and 0.20 mmol/g respectively. Thermodynamic study revealed that the adsorption of both Dy(III) and Eu(III) on Me₂-CA-BTP/SiO₂-P was spontaneous and endothermic processes with a positive entropy at 298, 308, 313 K.     

Tricyclic ligands on cyclam core and X-ray crystallographic structure of hexachloro-(1,11:4,8-bis(pyridine-2,6-diyl-bis(2-(N-(2-formidoylethylene)carbamoyl)ethylene))-1,8-diazonia-4,11-diazacyclotetradecane) - dimanganese(II) dimethanol dihydrate solvate

The synthesis of tricyclic compounds on functionalized cyclam core is described. The addition of four methyl acrylate molecules and consecutive condensation of this derivative with ethylenediamine resulted in formation of 1,4,8,11-tetrakis(2-(N-(2-aminoethyl)carbamoyl)ethyl)-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane (3). Compound 3 was the substrate for further condensation with dialdehydes: iso-phthaldialdehyde and 2,6-pyridinedicarbaldehyde, resulting in spontaneous macrocycle ring closure to give tricyclic derivatives: 1,11:4,8-bis(benzene-1,3-diyl-bis(2-(N-(2-formidoylethylene)carbamoyl)ethylene))-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane (4) in the reaction of 3 with iso-phthaldialdehyde and three isomers: 1,4:8,11-bis(pyridine-2,6-diyl-bis(2-(N-(2-formidoylethylene)carbamoyl)ethylene))-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane (5A), 1,11:4,8-bis(pyridine-2,6-diyl-bis(2-(N-(2-formidoylethylene)carbamoyl)ethylene))-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane (5B), and 1,8:4,11-bis(pyridine-2,6-diyl-bis(2-(N-(2-formidoylethylene)carbamoyl)ethylene))-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane (5C) when 2,6-pyridinedicarbaldehyde was used. The compounds 4, 5B, and 5C were identified crystallographically. The isolated 5A converted in solution into the mixture of 5B and 5C as monitored by the ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The tricycle 5 is able to accept two manganese(II) metal ions by reacting with manganese(II) dichloride with simultaneous diprotonation of 5. Structure of the resulting Mn₂(5BH₂)Cl₆·(CH₃OH)₂(H₂O)₂ was determined crystallographically.     

Models for Copper-Dioxygen Complexes: The chemistry of copper(II) with some planar tridentate nitrogen ligands

The solution chemistry of Cu(II) with a series of five planar tridentate nitrogen ligands, 2,6-bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)pyridine (bzimpy, 1 ), 2,6-bis(l-methylbenzimidazol-2-yl)pyridine (mbzimpy, 2 ) 2,6-bis(benzothiazol-2-yl) pyridine (bzthpy, 3 ), 2,6-bis(benzoxazol-2-yl)pyridine (bzoxpy, 4 ), and 2,2′, 6′, 2″-terpyridyl (terpy, 5 ) is reported. Electronic and EPR spectra are consistent with the complexes [CuL]²⁺ having essentially tetragonal structure in solution, with the fourth coordination site in the plane of the ligand occupied by solvent. bzthpy and bzoxpy show smaller ligand-field splittings than bzimpy, mbzimpy, and terpy, and are easily decomplexed from the copper. Substitution of the coordinated solvent molecule in the plane of the ligand is observed with Cl^? and OH^? (provided that the ligand has no acidic protons) for all ligands except terpy. The reaction between [Cu(mbzimpy)]²⁺ and imidazole has been studied by potentiometric titration in MeCN/H₂O 1:1 and shows strong binding of the imidazole in the plane (log K = 4.5 at 25°), and also the formation of an imidazolate-bridged dinuclear species.     

Comparative NMR Study of nPrBTP and iPrBTP

Bistriazinyl-pyridine type ligands are important extracting agents for separating trivalent actinide ions from trivalent lanthanides. The alkyl substituents on the lateral triazine rings have a significant effect on the stability of the ligand against hydrolysis and radiolysis. Furthermore they influence solubility, extraction behaviour and selectivity. TRLFS and extraction studies suggest differences in complexation and extraction behaviour of BTP ligands bearing iso-propyl or n-propyl substituents, respectively. As NMR studies allow insight into the metal-ligand bonding, we conducted NMR studies on a range of ¹⁵N-labelled nPrBTP and iPrBTP Ln(III) and Am(III) complexes. Our results show that no strong change in the metal-ligand bonding occurs, thus excluding electronic reasons for differences in complexation behaviour, extraction kinetics and selectivity. This supports mechanistic reasons for the observed differences.     

N-[1-(Benzotriazol-1-yl)alkyl]amides from N-acyl-α-amino acids or N-alkylamides

A variety of N-(1-methoxyalkyl)amides react with benzotriazole in the presence of PPh₃·HBF₄ and organic bases (Hünig's base, DBU or DABCO) or solid-state-supported bases (SiO₂-Pip or IRA-67) in CHCl₃ to give N-[1-(benzotriazol-1-yl)alkyl]amides in good yields. The most convenient and efficient procedure for obtaining N-[1-(benzotriazol-1-yl)alkyl]amides consists, however, of the addition of benzotriazole sodium salt to a solution of crude 1-(N-acylamino)alkyltriphenylphosphonium salt, obtained in situ from N-(1-methoxyalkyl)amides and PPh₃·HBF₄. A combination of these reactions with the recently described electrochemical decarboxylative α-methoxylation of N-acyl-α-amino acids in the presence of SiO₂-Pip enables an effective two-pot transformation of N-acyl-α-amino acids to N-[1-(benzotriazol-1-yl)alkyl]amides.