Stability trend analysis of light lanthanide complexes with a fluorophenyl-dipicolinamide: A quantum chemical study

Abstract

Extracting lanthanides (Ln) from actinides (An) is a crucial step in reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, and the interaction between ligands and Ln inevitably deserves careful study. In this study, we employ density functional theory (DFT) calculations to analyze the stability trend of trivalent light lanthanides (Ln (III), from La(III) to Eu(III)) complexes with N,N'‑diethyl-N,N'-di(para)fluorophenyl-2,6-dipicolinamide (FDPA), which has emerged as a promising ligand in Ln-An separation. The bond length, nature of bonding and electronic energy density properties of Ln-N and Ln-O bonds have been investigated. The quantum theory of atoms in molecules calculation shows that Ln(III)-FDPA complexes are stable, via closed-shell interactions. The Gibbs free energy changes (∆G) of La(III), Pr(III), Pm(III), Sm(III), and Eu(III) complexes with FDPA are approximately -0.07 Kcal/mol. In contrast, the ∆G values of Ce(III) and Nd(III) complexes with FDPA are 1.534 and 0.781 Kcal/mol, respectively. These findings indicate that La(III), Pr(III), Pm(III), Sm(III), and Eu(III) can be excellently extracted by FDPA from acidic solvents, whereas Ce(III) and Nd(III) do not. Our study contributes to a better understanding of the mechanism of lanthanide complexes and provides guidance for the design of ligands that can effectively discriminate lanthanides in nuclear waste reprocessing.