Theoretical Study of Am(III) and Eu(III) Separation by a Bipyridyl Phosphate Ligand

Actinide An(III) and lanthanide Ln(III) are known to exhibit similar chemical properties; thus, it is difficult to distinguish them in the separation of highly radioactive waste liquids. One potential method to efficiently separate actinides and lanthanides involves the design and development of phosphorus–oxygen-bonded ligands with solvent extraction separation. Here, a bipyridine phosphate ligand with two isopropyl and phosphate groups is introduced to selectively extract actinides. The electronic structure, bonding properties, thermodynamic behavior, and quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) of Am(III) and Eu(III) complexes with the bipyridine phosphate ligands were analyzed by using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The analysis demonstrates that the Am–N bond exhibits stronger covalent characteristics than the Eu–N bond, indicating that the bipyridine phosphate ligand had better selectivity for Am(III) than for Eu(III) in terms of binding affinity. The thermodynamic analysis established the complex ML(NO3)2(H2O)2+ as the most stable species during the complexation process. The results indicate great potential for utilizing the bipyridine phosphate ligand for the effective separation of An(III)/Ln(III) in spent fuel reprocessing experiments.