Redox-Driven Chelation and Kinetic Separation of Select Rare Earths Using a Tripodal Nitroxide Proligand.

Separation of the rare-earth (RE) elements (Sc, Y, La-Lu) is challenging because of their similar chemical properties, but is necessary for their applications in renewable energy and electronic device technologies. The development of separation processes driven by kinetic factors represents a new area for this field. Herein, we disclose a novel method of separating select rare earths by reacting RE cyclopentadienides with the triradical species tris(2-tert-butylnitroxyl)benzylamine (1). The key proligand 1 was characterized using a variety of techniques including X-ray crystallography, magnetometry, and EPR spectroscopy. When applied to an equimolar mixture of La:Y cyclopentadienide complexes, different rates of chelation of these organometallic precursors by 1 were observed, affording a separation factor of 26 under the reported conditions.

Magnetic Field Directed Rare-Earth Separations.

The separation of rare-earth ions from one another is challenging due to their chemical and physical similarities. Nearly all rare-earth separations rely upon small changes in ionic radii to direct speciation or reactivity. Herein, we show that the intrinsic magnetic properties of the rare-earth ions impact the separations of light/heavy and selected heavy/heavy binary mixtures. Using TriNOx3- ([{(2-t BuNO)C6 H4 CH2 }3 N]3- ) rare-earth complexes, we efficiently and selectively crystallized heavy rare earths (Tb-Yb) from a mixture with light rare earths (La and Nd) in the presence of an external Fe14 Nd2 B magnet, concomitant with the introduction of a concentration gradient (decrease in temperature). The optimal separation was observed for an equimolar mixture of La:Dy, which gave an enrichment factor of EFLa:Dy =297±31 for the solid fraction, compared to EFLa:Dy =159±22 in the absence of the field, and achieving a 99.7 % pure Dy sample in one step. These results indicate that the application of a magnetic field can improve performance in a molecular separation system for paramagnetic rare-earth cations.

Accomplishing simple, solubility-based separations of rare earth elements with complexes bearing size-sensitive molecular apertures.

Rare earth (RE) metals are critical components of electronic materials and permanent magnets. Recycling of consumer materials is a promising new source of rare REs. To incentivize recycling, there is a clear need for the development of simple methods for targeted separations of mixtures of RE metal salts. Metal complexes of a tripodal hydroxylaminato ligand, TriNOx3-, featured a size-sensitive aperture formed of its three η2-(N,O) ligand arms. Exposure of cations in the aperture induced a self-associative equilibrium comprising RE(TriNOx)THF and [RE(TriNOx)]2 species. Differences in the equilibrium constants Kdimer for early and late metals enabled simple separations through leaching. Separations were performed on RE1/RE2 mixtures, where RE1 = La-Sm and RE2 = Gd-Lu, with emphasis on Eu/Y separations for potential applications in the recycling of phosphor waste from compact fluorescent light bulbs. Using the leaching method, separations factors approaching 2,000 were obtained for early-late RE combinations. Following solvent optimization, >95% pure samples of Eu were obtained with a 67% recovery for the technologically relevant Eu/Y separation.

Electro-kinetic Separation of Rare Earth Elements Using a Redox-Active Ligand.

Purification of rare earth elements is challenging due to their chemical similarities. All of the deployed separation methods rely on thermodynamic properties, such as distribution equilibria in solvent extraction. Rare-earth-metal separations based on kinetic differences have not been examined. Herein, we demonstrate a new approach for rare-earth-element separations by exploiting differences in the oxidation rates within a series of rare earth compounds containing the redox-active ligand [{2-(tBuN(O))C6 H4 CH2 }3 N]3- . Using this method, a single-step separation factor up to 261 was obtained for the separation of a 50:50 yttrium-lutetium mixture.

Synthesis and Characterization of Aluminum Complexes of Redox-Active Pyridyl Nitroxide Ligands.

The aluminum complexes ((R)pyNO(-))2AlCl ((R)pyNO(-) = N-tert-butyl-N-(2-pyridyl)nitroxyl; R = H (1), CH3 (2), CF3 (3)) were prepared in 80-98% yield through the protonolysis reaction between the pyridyl hydroxylamine ligand precursors (R)pyNOH and dimethylaluminum chloride. Complex 1 was also prepared using a salt metathesis route in 92% yield. Complexes 1-3 were characterized using (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopies. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of the complexes revealed that 1-3 are isostructural, with the Al(III) cation in all cases being five coordinate with distorted square pyramidal geometries. The geometry of complex 1 was studied using DFT, which showed primarily ligand-based frontier molecular orbitals. Reaction of 1 with NaOt-Bu gave (pyNO(-))2AlOt-Bu (4), while reaction of 1 with AgBPh4 gave [(pyNO(-))2Al(THF)2][BPh4] (5) in 54% and 87% yields, respectively. Compounds 4 and 5 were both characterized using (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopies and compound 5 by X-ray diffraction. Complexes 1-5 were also characterized by UV-vis electronic absorption spectroscopy and electrochemistry. The cyclic voltammograms of the complexes show two separate oxidation process, the potentials of which are dependent on both the substitution pattern of the (R)pyNO(-) ligands and the anion that completes the aluminum coordination sphere. A correlation was determined between the chemical shift of the t-Bu of the (R)pyNO(-) ligand in the (1)H NMR spectroscopy and the potentials of the redox events for complexes 1-4.

Synthesis and characterization of aluminum-α-diimine complexes over multiple redox states.

The aluminum complexes (LMes(2-))AlCl(THF) (3) and (LDipp(-))AlCl2 (4) (LMes = N,N'-bis[2,4,6-trimethylphenyl]-2,3-dimethyl-1,4-diazabutadiene, LDipp = N,N'-bis[2,6-diisopropylphenyl]-2,3-dimethyl-1,4-diazabutadiene) were prepared by direct reduction of the ligands with sodium metal followed by salt metathesis with AlCl3. The (LMes(-))AlCl2 (5) complex was prepared through one-electron oxidative functionalization of 3 with either AgCl or CuCl. Complex 3 was characterized using (1)H and (13)C NMR spectoscopies. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of the complexes revealed that 3-5 are all four-coordinate, with 3 exhibiting a trigonal pyramidal geometry, while 4 and 5 exist between trigonal pyramidal and tetrahedral. Notable in the LMes complexes 3 and 5 is a systematic lengthening of the C-Nimido bonds and shortening of the C-C bond in the N-C-C-N backbone with increased electron density on the ligand. The geometries of the complexes 3 and 5 were optimized using DFT, which showed primarily ligand-based frontier orbitals, supporting the analysis of the solid-state structural data. The complexes 3-5 were also characterized by electrochemistry. The cyclic voltamogram of complex 3 showed an oxidation processes at -0.94 and -0.03 V versus ferrocene, while complexes 4 and 5 exhibit both reduction (-1.37 and -1.34 V, respectively) and oxidation (-0.62 and -0.73 V, respectively) features.

A molecular basis to rare earth separations for recycling: tuning the TriNOx ligand properties for improved performance.

A methoxy-substituted tripodal hydroxylamine ligand, H3TriNOxOMe, was synthesized and coordinated to rare earth cations for separation purposes. Metrics of the resulting complexes were investigated and compared with their parent TriNOx3- counterparts for determination of the molecular basis for the described rare earth separation system. Addition of an electron donating group to the aryl backbone resulted in a more electron rich ligand that increased the equilbrium constant for complex dimerization five-fold. The new separation system yielded efficient Nd/Dy separations in toluene rather than benzene.