Synergistic extraction studies of uranium(VI) and plutonium(VI) with some β-diketones and heterocyclic N-oxides

Abstract

Abstract The equilibrium constants for coordination of methyl substituted pyridine N-oxides with plutonium(VI) thenoyl trifluoroacetonate in chloroform (Ks) follow an order similar to those of the analogous uranium(VI) complexes indicating steric hindrance to bonding in the case of ortho substituted pyridine N-oxides. The extraction constants (k) of Pu(VI) chelates with various β-diketones are found to be only marginally higher than the values for the corresponding uranium(VI) chelates which is in conformity with the close similarity of the ionic radii of PuO 2 2+ and UO 2 2+ .