Development of efficient extractants for the separation of actinides and lanthanides in the technologies of nuclear fuel cycle is one of the most urgent and complex tasks in modern nuclear energetics. New family of 4,7-dichloro-1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-dicarboxylic acid diamides based on cyclic amines was synthesized and shown to exhibit high selectivity in the La/Am pair separation (SF (Am/La ≈ 10)) and in the Am/Eu pair separation (SF (Am/Eu ≈ 12)). It was shown that pyrrolidine derived diamide is more efficient extractant for americium, curium and lanthanides from highly acidic HNO₃ solution than its non-cyclic N,N,N′,N′-tetraalkyl analogues. The structures of synthesized compounds were studied in details by IR, NMR spectroscopy, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. According to spectroscopy data, incorporation of aromatic rings to the amide fragment of ligand leads to complex dynamic behavior in solutions what is believed to strongly affect the extraction ability of synthesized ligands.

In this work we report on new examples of phenanthrolindiamides containing asymmetric centers in amide substituents.

The first examples of 1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-diamides bearing CF₃-groups on the side amide substituents were synthesized. Due to stereoisomerism and amide rotation, such complexes have complicated behavior in solutions. Using advanced NMR techniques and X-ray analysis, their structures were completely elucidated. The possibility of the formation of complex compounds with lanthanoids nitrates was shown, and the constants of their stability are quantified. The results obtained are explained in terms of quantum-chemical calculations.

The fact of the fracture of the extraction curve of lanthanides by 1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-diamides is explained in terms of the structure of complexes, solvent extraction data and quantum chemical calculations. The solvent extraction proceeds in two competing directions: in the form of neutral complexes LLn(NO₃)₃ and in the form of tight ion pairs {[LLn(NO₃)₂ H₂O]⁺ (NO₃⁻).

An efficient approach to the synthesis of diamides of 4,7-difluoro-1,10-phenanthroline-2,9-dicarboxylic acid was elaborated. Direct nucleophilic substitution with 4,7-dichloro-1,10-phenanthroline precursors opened access to difluoro derivatives in high yield. As a result, four new fluorinated ligands were prepared in up to 88% yield. Their structure was proved by a combination of spectral methods and X-ray data. A set of lanthanoid complexes was prepared to demonstrate the utility of new ligands. The structure of the complexes was studied in solid state (IR-spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction) and in solution (NMR-spectroscopy).