In the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne, researchers are tinkering with molecules that could revolutionize how we handle nuclear waste. Andrey V. Zaytsev, a scientist at Northumbria University, is leading the charge, inspired by an unlikely muse: drug discovery. His team’s latest findings, published in ChemistryOpen, could significantly impact the future of nuclear energy and waste management.
The problem they’re tackling is a complex one. When nuclear fuel is used in reactors, it produces a mix of elements known as actinides and lanthanides. These elements are tricky to separate, and current methods are far from perfect. But Zaytsev and his team believe they’ve found a promising new approach.
Their solution lies in a class of compounds called multidentate ligands, which are essentially molecules designed to grab onto and separate specific metal ions. The team has been working with a type of ligand called bis-1,2,4-triazine, known for its ability to selectively extract actinides from lanthanides. But they wanted to improve its performance.
Zaytsev explains, “We took inspiration from drug discovery, where chemists often modify molecules to enhance their properties. We applied this approach to our ligands, replacing a key unit with a 1,2,4-triazine-3-carboxamide unit.”
The result? A series of nine novel ligands that show promise in extracting and separating americium (Am) and curium (Cm) from europium (Eu). One of these ligands can even co-extract Am and Eu from nitric acid into cyclohexanone, a significant step forward.
But here’s where it gets even more interesting. The team found that one of their ligands, dubbed 23b, forms a unique complex with lanthanum (La). This complex is chiral, meaning it’s mirror-image asymmetric, and it only forms with La, not with lutetium (Lu) or yttrium (Y). This suggests that the ligand’s coordination cavity is sensitive to the size of the metal ion, a finding that could lead to even more selective extraction methods.
So, what does this mean for the energy sector? Well, efficient separation of actinides from lanthanides is a key step in nuclear fuel recycling. It could make nuclear power more sustainable and reduce the volume of high-level waste. Plus, the actinides recovered can be used to fuel advanced nuclear reactors, generating more power with less waste.
Zaytsev’s work, published in the open-access journal ChemistryOpen, which translates to Chemistry Open, is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary thinking. By borrowing strategies from drug discovery, he and his team have opened up new avenues in nuclear chemistry. And as the world looks for cleaner, more sustainable energy sources, their work could play a crucial role in shaping the future of nuclear energy.