Hydrophilic Clicked 2,6-Bis-triazolyl-pyridines Endowed with High Actinide Selectivity and Radiochemical Stability: Toward a Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Elena Macerata (1) , Eros Mossini (1) , Stefano Scaravaggi (1) , Mario Mariani (1) , Andrea Mele (1) , Walter Panzeri (1) , Nathalie Boubals (2, 3) , Laurence Berthon (2, 3) , Marie-Christine Charbonnel (3) , Francesco Sansone (4) , Arturo Arduini (5) , Alessandro Casnati (5)

1 POLIMI - Politecnico di Milano [Milan]
2 DMRC - Département de recherche sur les procédés pour la mine et le recyclage du combustible
3 CEA-DES (ex-DEN) - CEA-Direction des Energies (ex-Direction de l'Energie Nucléaire)
4 Dipartimento di Chimica Organica e Industriale
5 UNIPR - Università degli studi di Parma = University of Parma

There is still an evident need for selective and stable ligands able to separate actinide(III) from lanthanide(III) metal ions in view of the treatment of the accumulated radioactive waste and of the recycling of minor actinides. We have herein demonstrated that hydrophilic 2,6-bis-triazolyl-pyridines are able to strip all actinides in all the different oxidation states from a diglycolamide-containing kerosene solution into an acidic aqueous phase. The ascertained high actinide selectivity, efficiency, extraction kinetics, and chemical/radiolytic stability spotlight this hydrophilic class of ligands as exceptional candidates for advanced separation processes fundamental for closing the nuclear fuel cycle and solving the environmental issues related to the management of existing nuclear waste.

Domaines: Physique Nucléaire Théorique [nucl-th]; Physique Nucléaire Expérimentale [nucl-ex]

Elena Macerata, Eros Mossini, Stefano Scaravaggi, Mario Mariani, Andrea Mele, et al.. Hydrophilic Clicked 2,6-Bis-triazolyl-pyridines Endowed with High Actinide Selectivity and Radiochemical Stability: Toward a Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2016, 138 (23), pp.7232-7235. ⟨10.1021/jacs.6b03106⟩. ⟨cea-02389300⟩