Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Extraction of tervalent lanthanides as hydroxide complexes with tri-n-octylphosphine oxide

Journal Article · · Analytical Chemistry (Washington); (USA)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ac00205a016· OSTI ID:6410237

The extraction behavior of lanthanum(III), praseodymium(III), europium(III), terbium(III), holmium(III), and ytterbium(III) from dilute chloride solutions into chloroform solutions containing tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) was examined. The lanthanides were found to extract as hydroxide complexes of the form Ln(OH){sub 3}{center dot}nTOPO. The extraction selectivity for this system increases with increasing TOPO concentration, rivaling those for common acidic organophosphorus extractants in the TOPO concentration range 0.025-0.100 M and surpassing them at higher concentrations. When TOPO concentrations of 0.25 M or greater are employed, the extraction system is, overall, the most selective for lanthanide separations to date. This is the first report of the lanthanides extracting as hydroxide complexes.

OSTI ID:
6410237
Journal Information:
Analytical Chemistry (Washington); (USA), Journal Name: Analytical Chemistry (Washington); (USA) Vol. 62:6; ISSN 0003-2700; ISSN ANCHA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English