Extraction and coordination studies of the unexplored bifunctional ligand carbamoyl methyl sulfoxide (CMSO) with uranium(VI) and cerium(III) nitrates. Synthesis and structures of [UO2(NO3)2(PhSOCH2CON(i)Bu2)] and [Ce(NO3)3(PhSOCH2CONBu2)2

The bifunctional carbamoyl methyl sulfoxide ligands, PhCH(2)SOCH(2)CONHPh (L1), PhCH(2)SOCH(2)CONHCH(2)Ph (L2), PhSOCH(2)CON(i)Pr(2)(L3), PhSOCH(2)CONBu(2)(L4), PhSOCH(2)CON(i)Bu(2)(L5) and PhSOCH(2)CON(C(8)H(17))(2)(L6) have been synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic methods. The selected coordination chemistry of L1, L3, and L5with [UO(2)(NO(3))(2)] and [Ce(NO(3))(3)] has been evaluated. The structures of the compounds [UO(2)(NO(3))(2)(PhSOCH(2)CON(i)Bu(2))](10) and [Ce(NO(3))(3)(PhSOCH(2)CONBu(2))(2)](12) have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction methods. Preliminary extraction studies of ligand L6 with U(VI), Pu(IV) and Am(III) in tracer level showed an appreciable extraction for U(VI) and Pu(IV) in up to 10 M HNO(3) but not for Am(III). Thermal studies on compounds 8 and 10 in air revealed that the ligands can be destroyed completely on incineration. The electron spray mass spectra of compounds 8 and 10 in acetone show that extensive ligand distribution reactions occur in solution to give a mixture of products with ligand to metal ratios of 1: 1 and 2 :1. However, 10 retains its solid state structure in CH(2)Cl(2).