Anionic alkyl diglycoldiamides with covalently bonded cobalt bis(dicarbollide)(1−) ions for lanthanide and actinide extractions

Ionic diamides composed of a N,N′-dialkyl diglycolyl complexing group and two cobalt bis(dicarbollide)(1−) anions were synthesized with the aim to develop efficient extraction agents for liquid-liquid extraction of polyvalent cations, i.e. lanthanides and actinides from high-level activity nuclear waste. Compounds of general formulation [{(N,N-(8-CH₂-CH₂O)₂-1,2-C₂B₉H₁₀)(1′,2′-C₂B₉H₁₁)-3,3′-Co)(N′,N′-R)NCOCH₂}₂O]Na₂, where R = n-C₄H₉, n-C₈H₁₇, n-C₁₂H₂₅ and 1-C₆H₄-4-CH₃ (1-4), were prepared and characterized by combination of ¹¹B ¹H, ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, ESI-MS, HPLC and other techniques. Effects of different nitrogen substitution in the structures of 1-4 on the extraction properties were tested. The study resulted in the observation that the compounds are significantly (2-3 orders in magnitude) more efficient extractants for Eu(III) and Am(III) than synergic mixtures of organic N,N′-tetra n-octyl diglycolic acid diamide (TODGA) and chlorinated cobalt bis(dicarbollide) at the same concentrations of both groups. Low polar mixtures of n-dodecane (D) and hexyl methyl ketone (HMK) can be applied as an auxiliary solvent for extraction, replacing thus the polar and less environmentally friendly nitro-, fluoro- and chloro- solvents used in the current dicarbollide liquid-liquid extraction process.