|
|||||
|
|
Solvent Extraction: Structure of the Liquid–Liquid Interface Containing a Diamide Ligand |
|
| Authors: | Dr Ernesto Scoppola Dr Erik B Watkins Dr Richard A Campbell Dr Oleg Konovalov Dr Luc Girard Prof Jean‐Francois Dufrêche Dr Geoffroy Ferru Dr Giovanna Fragneto Dr Olivier Diat |
| Institution: | 1. Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble, France;2. Institut de Chimie Séparative de Marcoule, UMR 5257 CEA/CNRS/ENSCM/Université Montpellier, Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France;3. Materials Synthesis and Integrated Devices, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA;4. European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Grenoble, France;5. Argonne National Labororatory, Lemont, IL, USA |
| Abstract: | Knowledge of the (supra)molecular structure of an interface that contains amphiphilic ligand molecules is necessary for a full understanding of ion transfer during solvent extraction. Even if molecular dynamics already yield some insight in the molecular configurations in solution, hardly any experimental data giving access to distributions of both extractant molecules and ions at the liquid–liquid interface exist. Here, the combined application of X‐ray and neutron reflectivity measurements represents a key milestone in the deduction of the interfacial structure and potential with respect to two different lipophilic ligands. Indeed, we show for the first time that hard trivalent cations can be repelled or attracted by the extractant‐enriched interface according to the nature of the ligand. |
| Keywords: | ion transfer liquid interfaces neutron reflectometry surface chemistry X-ray reflectometry |