Synergic extraction of lanthanoid(III) with 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone and triphenylarsine oxide in benzene

The synergic extraction of La(III), Eu(III), and Lu(III) with 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone (Htta) and triphenylarsine oxide (tpao) in benzene has been studied. The extractability of lanthanoids, Ln(III), is significantly affected by the association of Htta with tpao in the organic phase. The associated species is Htta·tpao and the association constant is determined as 10^1.63. The intrinsic extraction equilibrium of Ln(III) is analyzed using the free concentration of Htta and tpao. The synergic enhancement is ascribable to the formation of the adduct complexes shown as Ln(tta)₃tpao and Ln(tta)₃(tpao)₂ in the present extraction system. The adduct formation constants determined are very large as expected from the high basicity of tpao.