Study of liquid–liquid interfaces by an easily implemented localized NMR sequence

To selectively extract heavy metals from solutions containing fission products, it is essential to optimize the liquid–liquid extraction processes. Such an objective requires improving the fundamental knowledge of the different mechanisms that are involved in these processes. In that respect, we propose a localized NMR sequence named LOCSY to assess the concentration profiles of different species involved in these processes. One of the goals of this sequence is to study the products as close as possible to the liquid–liquid interface with the help of a standard NMR spectrometer of chemistry labs. The one‐dimensional spatial localization along the NMR tube is obtained by a discrete stepping of the frequency‐selective excitation pulses under a pulsed field gradient. Specific data processing has been developed to obtain the 1D NMR spectra as a function of the vertical position in the NMR tube. The LOCSY sequence has been tested and evaluated on three different systems: (i) a cylindrical phantom inserted in the NMR tube containing 4‐methylsalicylic acid solution, (ii) D₂O/olive oil biphasic system, and (iii) the dissolution of solid saccharose in D₂O. These examples illustrate potential applications of the LOCSY sequence, particularly the possibility to measure concentration profiles and to study phenomena such as diffusion, provided the dynamic range is compatible with NMR timescale and sensitivity. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.