CAREER: Polymeric ligands with tunable affinities to enable selective f-element separations

职业：具有可调亲和力的聚合物配体，可实现 f 元素的选择性分离

• 批准号: 2237523
• 负责人: Christine Duval
• 金额: $ 54.83万
• 依托单位: Case Western Reserve University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-02-15 至 2028-01-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2237523&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Polymeric; ligands; tunable; affinities

The f-elements (lanthanides and actinides) play a crucial role in several peaceful applications of nuclear technology, including electricity generation, clean energy technologies, and cancer treatment. These elements can be harvested from natural resources through traditional mining approaches or by processing industrial waste sources. In many cases, the lanthanides must be separated from the actinides, like uranium and thorium, before they can be used in the final application. Lanthanides and actinides are currently separated by solvent extraction approaches - a chemical process with large physical and carbon footprints and also generates mixed radioactive waste. Membrane-based separations are an alternative to solvent extraction that can have a smaller physical footprint and minimize the volume of waste generated. Thus, designing membrane materials that can selectively achieve these separations is a key step in improving the sustainability and cost-effectiveness of these processes. The fundamental knowledge generated in this project will guide the design of future membranes that will be used in lanthanide/actinide separations from various feedstocks. The ability to selectively separate lanthanides from actinides via membranes will enhance national security and improve the efficiency of resource recovery and water treatment. This research program is integrated with an educational program that will develop service-learning opportunities for graduate students, engage the local Cleveland community through nuclear-focused outreach activities, and build a training program for future STEM educators focusing on inclusive teaching strategies.The goal of this research is to understand the molecular-level phenomena that underpin ion-ion selectivity in copolymer ligands used for f-element separations. This goal will be achieved by synthesizing polymer ligands with controlled compositions to serve as a platform for studying ligand-ligand and ligand-ion interactions. Molecular interactions will be investigated through a combined approach of computational modeling and spectroscopy. Finally, the polymer ligands will be coated on membrane surfaces. These studies will reveal the practical implications of intermolecular interactions on affinity, kinetics, and selectivity. This research will be integrated with a graduate-level radiochemistry course in which students will develop teaching tools to communicate radiochemistry concepts to non-scientific audiences. These tools will be deployed at outreach events that target K-12 students in Cleveland through partnerships with the Leonard Gelfand STEM Center and the Girl Scouts of Northeast Ohio. Finally, a new mentored-teaching experience for graduate students will serve as a practicum to integrate inclusive pedagogical techniques into their teaching portfolios.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

f元素（镧系元素和锕系元素）在核技术的若干和平应用中发挥着关键作用，包括发电、清洁能源技术和癌症治疗。这些元素可以通过传统的采矿方法或通过处理工业废料源从自然资源中获得。在许多情况下，镧系元素必须从锕系元素（如铀和钍）中分离出来，然后才能用于最终应用。镧系元素和锕系元素目前是通过溶剂萃取方法分离的，这是一种具有大量物理和碳足迹的化学过程，还会产生混合放射性废物。膜基分离是溶剂萃取的一种替代方法，它具有更小的物理足迹，并最大限度地减少产生的废物量。因此，设计能够选择性地实现这些分离的膜材料是提高这些过程的可持续性和成本效益的关键一步。在这个项目中产生的基本知识将指导未来膜的设计，这些膜将用于从各种原料中分离镧系/锕系元素。通过膜选择性分离镧系元素和锕系元素的能力将增强国家安全，提高资源回收和水处理的效率。该研究项目与一个教育项目相结合，该项目将为研究生提供服务学习机会，通过以核为重点的外展活动吸引克利夫兰当地社区，并为未来的STEM教育工作者建立一个培训项目，重点关注包容性教学策略。本研究的目的是了解分子水平的现象，这些现象支持用于f元素分离的共聚物配体中的离子-离子选择性。这一目标将通过合成具有可控组成的聚合物配体来实现，以作为研究配体-配体和配体-离子相互作用的平台。分子间的相互作用将通过计算模型和光谱学相结合的方法进行研究。最后，将聚合物配体涂覆在膜表面。这些研究将揭示分子间相互作用在亲和力、动力学和选择性方面的实际意义。这项研究将与研究生水平的放射化学课程相结合，在该课程中，学生将开发教学工具，向非科学受众传达放射化学概念。这些工具将通过与伦纳德·盖尔芬德STEM中心和俄亥俄州东北部女童子军的合作，在针对克利夫兰K-12学生的外展活动中部署。最后，为研究生提供一种新的指导教学经验，作为将包容性教学技术融入其教学作品集的实践。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。