The extraction of lanthanides(III) from aqueous nitric acid solutions with novel unsymmetrical diglycolamide extactant, N,N′-dimethyl-N,N′-dicyclohexyldiglycolamide (DMDCHDGA) into bis(trifluoromethylsulfoyl)imide-based ionic liquids (ILs), namely 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([C4mim][Tf2N]), 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([C8mim][Tf2N]), benzyltriethylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([N222Bn][Tf2N]) methyltrioctylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([N1888][Tf2N]), and their mixtures with molecular organic diluent 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE), is studied. DMDCHDGA has been shown to interact with components of the IL [C4mim][Tf2N]. The effect of HNO3 concentration in the aqueous phase on the extraction of Ln(III) ions is studied. The stoichiometry of the extracted complexes is determined, and the mechanism of Ln(III) extraction in a system with [C4mim][Tf2N] is discussed. It is shown that the efficiency and intragroup selectivity of the extraction of Ln(III) ions with DMDCHDGA into [C4mim][Tf2N] is significantly higher than when using its symmetric analog TODGA.
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