A Novel Microemulsion Phase Transition: Toward the Elucidation of Third-Phase Formation in Spent Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing

Fluorous and Organic Extraction Systems: A Comparison from the Perspectives of Coordination Structures, Interfaces, and Bulk Extraction Phases

Microscopic structures in liquid-liquid extraction, such as structuration between extractants or extracted complexes in bulk organic phases and at interfaces, can influence macroscopic phenomena, such as the distribution behavior of solutes, including extraction efficiency and selectivity. In this study, we correlated the macroscopic behavior of the Zr(IV) extraction from nitric acid solutions with microscopic structural information to understand at the molecular level the key factors contributing to the higher metal ion extraction performance in the fluorous extraction system as compared to the analogous organic extraction system. The fluorous and organic extraction systems consist of tris(4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,7-nonafluoroheptyl) phosphate (TFP) in perfluorohexane and tri-n-heptyl phosphate (THP) in n-hexane, respectively. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure, neutron reflectometry (NR), and small-angle neutron scattering revealed the structural information around the central metal ion of the complex, at the interface, and in the bulk extraction phase, respectively. NR results showed that extractant molecules did not accumulate much at the interface in both extraction system. In the fluorous extraction system, extractant aggregates with a 1.46 nm radius of gyration (Rg) were formed after contact with nitric acid, and remained even after Zr(IV) extraction through the form of a 1:3 (Zr(IV):TFP) complex. In contrast, in the organic extraction system, only extractant dimers with Rg of 0.70 nm were formed and Zr(IV) is extracted through the form of a 1:2 (Zr(IV):THP) complex. We speculate that differences in the local coordination structure around the Zr(IV) ion and the structuration of the extractant molecules in the bulk extraction phase contribute to the high Zr(IV) extraction performance in the fluorous extraction system. In particular, the size of the aggregates hardly changed with increasing Zr(IV) concentration in the fluorous phase, which may be closely related to the absence of phase splitting in the fluorous extraction system.

Globular pattern formation of hierarchical ceria nanoarchitectures

Dissipative structures often appear as an unstable counterpart of ordered structures owing to fluctuations that do not form a homogeneous phase. Even a multiphase mixture may simultaneously undergo one chemical reaction near equilibrium and another one that is far from equilibrium. Here, we observed in real time crystal seed formation and simultaneous nanocrystal aggregation proceeding from CeIV complexes to CeO2 nanoparticles in an acidic aqueous solution, and investigated the resultant hierarchical nanoarchitecture. The formed particles exhibited two very different size ranges, resulting in further pattern formation with opalescence. The hierarchically assembled structures in solutions were CeO2 colloids, viz. primary core clusters (1-3 nm) of crystalline ceria and secondary clusters (20-30 nm) assembled through surface ions. Such self-assembly is widespread in multi-component complex fluids, paradoxically moderating hierarchical reactions. Stability and instability are not only critical but also complementary for co-optimisation around the nearby free energy landscape prior to bifurcation.

Metastable precipitation and ion-extractant transport in liquid-liquid separations of trivalent elements

The extractant-assisted transport of metal ions from aqueous to organic environments by liquid-liquid extraction has been widely used to separate and recover critical elements on an industrial scale. While current efforts focus on designing better extractants and optimizing process conditions, the mechanism that underlies ionic transport remains poorly understood. Here, we report a nonequilibrium process in the bulk aqueous phase that influences interfacial ion transport: the formation of metastable ion-extractant precipitates away from the liquid-liquid interface, separated from it by a depletion region without precipitates. Although the precipitate is soluble in the organic phase, the depletion region separates the two and ions are sequestered in a long-lived metastable state. Since precipitation removes extractants from the aqueous phase, even extractants that are sparingly soluble in water will continue to be withdrawn from the organic phase to feed the aqueous precipitation process. Solute concentrations in both phases and the aqueous pH influence the temporal evolution of the process and ionic partitioning between the precipitate and organic phase. Aqueous ion-extractant precipitation during liquid-liquid extraction provides a reaction path that can influence the extraction kinetics, which plays an important role in designing advanced processes to separate rare earths and other minerals.

Modeling Henry's law and phase separations of water-NaCl-organic mixtures with solvation and ion-pairing

Empirical measurements of solution vapor pressure of ternary acetonitrile (MeCN) H2O-NaCl-MeCN mixtures were recorded, with NaCl concentrations ranging from zero to the saturation limit, and MeCN concentrations ranging from zero to an absolute mole fraction of 0.64. After accounting for speciation, the variability of the Henry's law coefficient at vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) of MeCN ternary mixtures decreased from 107% to 5.1%. Solute speciation was modeled using a mass action solution model that incorporates solute solvation and ion-pairing phenomena. Two empirically determined equilibrium constants corresponding to solute dissociation and ion pairing were utilized for each solute. When speciation effects were considered, the solid-liquid equilibrium of H2O-NaCl-MeCN mixtures appear to be governed by a simple saturation equilibrium constant that is consistent with the binary H2O-NaCl saturation coefficient. Further, our results indicate that the precipitation of NaCl in the MeCN ternary mixtures was not governed by changes in the dielectric constant. Our model indicates that the compositions of the salt-induced liquid-liquid equilibrium (LLE) boundary of the H2O-NaCl-MeCN mixture correspond to the binary plateau activity of MeCN, a range of concentrations over which the activity remains largely invariant in the binary water-MeCN system. Broader comparisons with other ternary miscible organic solvent (MOS) mixtures suggest that salt-induced liquid-liquid equilibrium exists if: (1) the solution displays a positive deviation from the ideal limits governed by Raoult's law; and (2) the minimum of the mixing free energy profile for the binary water-MOS system is organic-rich. This work is one of the first applications of speciation-based solution models to a ternary system, and the first that includes an organic solute.

Hierarchical Aggregation in a Complex Fluid─The Role of Isomeric Interconversion

There is an ever-increasing body of evidence that metallic complexes involving amphiliphic ligands do not form normal solutions in organic solvents. Instead, they form complex fluids with intricate structures. For example, the metallic complexes may aggregate into clusters, and these clusters themselves may aggregate into superclusters. To gain a deeper insight into the mechanisms at play, we have used an improved force field to conduct extensive molecular dynamics simulations of a system composed of zirconium nitrate, water, nitric acid, tri-n-butyl phosphate, and n-octane. The important new finding is that a dynamic equilibrium between the cis and trans isomers of the metal complex is likely to play a key role in the aggregation behavior. The isolated cis and trans isomers have similar energies, but simulation indicates that the clusters consist predominantly of cis isomers. With increasing metal concentration, we hypothesize that more clustering occurs and the chemical equilibrium shifts toward the cis isomer. It is possible that such isomeric effects play a role in the liquid-liquid extraction of other species and the inclusion of such effects in flow sheet modeling may lead to a better description of the process.

Modulating Aggregation in Microemulsions: The Dispersion by Competitive Intermolecular Interaction Model

A phenomenological model has been developed for the mechanism of action of phase modifiers as additives that control aggregation phenomena within water-in-oil emulsions. The "Dispersion by Competitive Intermolecular Interaction" model (DCI) explicitly considers the strength and prevalence of different intermolecular interactions that influence the molecular association of amphiphiles, the resulting distribution of aggregate size, and interaggregate interactions that influence phase phenomena. The existing "cosolvent" and "cosurfactant" association models, which describe the distribution of these amphiphiles within the solution, are re-examined in the context of intermolecular interactions. The different contributions of intermolecular interactions to the potential energy landscape of molecular association create distinct regimes within the DCI model that explain prior observations of cosolvent and cosurfactant behavior. The specific system under consideration, the N,N,N^',N'-tetraoctyl diglycolamide amphiphile extractant with tributyl phosphate or dihexyl octanamide phase modifier additives, represents a new regime-labeled the polar disruption regime-where strong hydrogen bonding of the phase modifier with the polar-solutes disrupts the internal hydrogen bonding network of the polar micellar core, thereby decreasing aggregate size and narrowing the polydispersity in solution.

Molecular Dynamics Study of the Aggregation Behavior of N,N,N',N'-Tetraoctyl Diglycolamide

Liquid–liquid extraction is a commonly used technique to separate metals and is a process that has particular relevance to the nuclear industry. There has been a drive to use environmentally friendly ligands composed only of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. One example is the i-SANEX process that has been developed to separate minor actinides from spent nuclear fuel. The underlying science of such processes, is, however, both complex and intriguing. Recent research indicates that the liquid phases involved are frequently structured fluids with a hierarchical organization of aggregates. Effective flow-sheet modeling of such processes is likely to benefit from the knowledge of the fundamental properties of these phases. As a stepping stone toward this, we have performed molecular dynamics simulations on a metal free i-SANEX system composed of the ligand N,N,N′,N′-tetraoctyl diglycolamide (TODGA), diluent hydrogenated tetrapropylene (TPH), and polar species water and nitric acid. We have also studied the effects of adding n-octanol and swapping TPH for n-dodecane. It would seem sensible to understand this simpler system before introducing metal complexes. Such an understanding would ideally arise from studying the system’s properties over a wide range of compositions. The large number of components, however, precludes a comprehensive scan of compositions, so we have chosen to study a fixed concentration of TODGA while varying the concentrations of water and nitric acid over a substantial range. Reverse aggregates are observed, with polar species in the interior in contact with the polar portions of the TODGA molecules and the organic diluent on the exterior in contact with the TODGA alkyl chains. These aggregates are irregular in shape and grow in size as the amount of water and nitric acid increases. At a sufficiently high polar content, a single extended cluster forms corresponding to the third phase formation. No well-defined bonding motifs were observed between the polar species and TODGA. The cluster size distribution fits an isodesmic model, where the Gibbs energy change of adding a TODGA molecule to a cluster ranges between 4.5 and 7.0 kJ mol^–1, depending on the system composition. The addition of n-octanol was found to reduce the degree of aggregation, with n-octanol acting as a co-surfactant. Exchanging the diluent TPH for n-dodecane also decreased the aggregation. We present evidence that this is due to the greater penetration of n-dodecane into the reverse aggregates. It is known, however, that the propensity for the third phase formation is greater with n-dodecane as the diluent than is the case with TPH, but we argue that these two results are not contradictory. This research casts light on the driving forces for aggregation, informs process engineers as to what species are present, and indicates that flow-sheet liquid–liquid extraction modeling might benefit by incorporating an isodesmic aggregation approach.

Recognition competes with hydration in anion-triggered monolayer formation of cyanostar supra-amphiphiles at aqueous interfaces

The triggered self-assembly of surfactants into organized layers at aqueous interfaces is important for creating adaptive nanosystems and understanding selective ion extraction. While these transformations require molecular recognition, the underlying driving forces are modified by the local environment in ways that are not well understood. Herein, we investigate the role of ion binding and ion hydration using cyanosurf, which is composed of the cyanostar macrocycle, and its binding to anions that are either size-matched or mis-matched and either weakly or highly hydrated. We utilize the supra-amphiphile concept where anion binding converts cyanosurf into a charged and amphiphilic complex triggering its self-organization into monolayers at the air-water interface. Initially, cyanosurf forms aggregates at the surface of a pure water solution. When the weakly hydrated and size-matched hexafluorophosphate (PF6 -) and perchlorate (ClO4 -) anions are added, the macrocycles form distinct monolayer architectures. Surface-pressure isotherms reveal significant reorganization of the surface-active molecules upon anion binding while infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy show the ion-bound complexes are well ordered at the interface. Vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy shows the water molecules in the interfacial region are highly ordered in response to the charged monolayer of cyanosurf complexes. Consistent with the importance of recognition, we find the smaller mis-matched chloride does not trigger the transformation. However, the size-matched phosphate (H2PO4 -) also does not trigger monolayer formation indicating hydration inhibits its interfacial binding. These studies reveal how anion-selective recognition and hydration both control the binding and thus the switching of a responsive molecular interface.

Advancing Chemical Separations: Unraveling the Structure and Dynamics of Phase Splitting in Liquid-Liquid Extraction

Liquid-liquid extraction (LLE), the go-to process for a variety of chemical separations, is limited by spontaneous organic phase splitting upon sufficient solute loading, called third phase formation. In this study we explore the applicability of critical phenomena theory to gain insight into this deleterious phase behavior with the goal of improving separations efficiency and minimizing waste. A series of samples representative of rare earth purification were constructed to include each of one light and one heavy lanthanide (cerium and lutetium) paired with one of two common malonamide extractants (DMDOHEMA and DMDBTDMA). The resulting postextraction organic phases are chemically complex and often form rich hierarchical structures whose statics and dynamics near the critical point were probed herein with small-angle X-ray scattering and high-speed X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy. Despite their different extraction behaviors, all samples show remarkably similar critical behavior with exponents well described by classical critical point theory consistent with the 3D Ising model, where the critical behavior is characterized by fluctuations with a single diverging length scale. This unexpected result indicates a significant reduction in relevant chemical parameters at the critical point, indicating that the underlying behavior of phase transitions in LLE rely on far fewer variables than are generally assumed. The obtained scalar order parameter is attributed to the extractant fraction of the extractant/diluent mixture, revealing that other solution components and their respective concentrations simply shift the critical temperature but do not affect the nature of the critical fluctuations. These findings point to an opportunity to drastically simplify studies of liquid-liquid phase separation and phase diagram development in general while providing insights into LLE process improvement.

Unexpected inverse correlations and cooperativity in ion-pair phase transfer

Liquid/liquid extraction is one of the most widely used separation and purification methods, where a forefront of research is the study of transport mechanisms for solute partitioning and the relationships that these have to solution structure at the phase boundary. To date, organized surface features that include protrusions, water-fingers, and molecular hinges have been reported. Many of these equilibrium studies have focused upon small-molecule transport – yet the extent to which the complexity of the solute, and the competition between different solutes, influence transport mechanisms have not been explored. Here we report molecular dynamics simulations that demonstrate that a metal salt (LiNO₃) can be transported via a protrusion mechanism that is remarkably similar to that reported for H₂O by tri-butyl phosphate (TBP), a process that involves dimeric assemblies. Yet the LiNO₃ out-competes H₂O for a bridging position between the extracting TBP dimer, which in-turn changes the preferred transport pathway of H₂O. Examining the electrolyte concentration dependence on ion-pair transport unexpectedly reveals an inverse correlation with the extracting surfactant concentration. As [LiNO₃] increases, surface adsorbed TBP becomes a limiting reactant in correlation with an increased negative surface charge induced by excess interfacial NO₃⁻, however the rate of transport is enhanced. Within the highly dynamic interfacial environment, we hypothesize that this unique cooperative effect may be due to perturbed surface organization that either decreases the energy of formation of transporting protrusion motifs or makes it easier for these self-assembled species to disengage from the surface.

A forefront of research in separations science (specifically liquid–liquid extraction) is the study of transport mechanisms for solute partitioning, and the relationships that these have to solution structure at the phase boundary.

Molecular Forces in Liquid-Liquid Extraction

The phase transfer of ions is driven by gradients of chemical potentials rather than concentrations alone (i.e., by both the molecular forces and entropy). Extraction is a combination of high-energy interactions that correspond to short-range forces in the first solvation shell such as ion pairing or complexation forces, with supramolecular and nanoscale organization. While the latter are similar to the long-range solvent-averaged interactions in the colloidal world, in solvent extraction they are associated with lower characteristic lengths of the nanometric domain. Modeling of such complex systems is especially complicated because the two domains are coupled, whereas the resulting free energy of extraction is around k_BT to guarantee the reversibility of the practical process. Nevertheless, quantification is possible by considering a partitioning of space among the polar cores, interfacial film, and solvent. The resulting free energy of transfer can be rationalized by utilizing a combination of terms which represent strong complexation energies, counterbalanced by various entropic effects and the confinement of polar solutes in nanodomains dispersed in the diluent, together with interfacial extractant terms. We describe here this ienaics approach in the context of solvent extraction systems; it can also be applied to further complex ionic systems, such as membranes and biological interfaces.

Selective Extraction of Platinum(IV) from the Simulated Secondary Resources Using Simple Secondary Amide and Urea Extractants

The recycling of rare metals such as platinum (Pt) from secondary resources, such as waste electronic and electrical equipment and automotive catalysts, is an urgent global issue. In this study, simple secondary amides and urea, N-(2-ethylhexyl)acetamide, N-(2-ethylhexyl)octanamide, and 1-butyl-3-(2-ethylhexyl)urea, which selectively extract Pt(IV) from a simulated effluent containing numerous metal ions, such as in an actual hydrometallurgical process, were synthesized and achieved efficient Pt(IV) stripping using only water. Comparison of Pt(IV) extraction behavior with a tertiary amide without N–H moieties suggests that the secondary amides and urea extractants effectively use hydrogen bonding to the hexachloroplatinate anion by N–H moieties. Examining the conditions for the third phase formation revealed that the secondary amide extractant with the longest alkyl chain can be used in the extraction process for a long time without forming any third phase, despite its lower Pt(IV) extraction capacity. The practical trial with simple compounds developed in this study should contribute to the development of Pt separation and purification processes.

A HNO3 -Responsive Aqueous Biphasic System for Metal Separation: Application towards CeIV Recovery

An acidic aqueous biphasic system (AcABS) presenting a desired and reversible phase transition with HNO₃ concentration and temperature was developed herein as an integrated platform for metal separation. The simple, economical, and fully incinerable (C,H,O,N) AcABS composed of tetrabutylammonium nitrate ([N₄₄₄₄ ][NO₃ ])+HNO₃ +H₂ O was characterized and presented an excellent selectivity towards Ce^IV against other rare earth elements and transition metals from both synthetic solutions and nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery leachates. The acid-driven self-assembly of AcABS bridges the gap between traditional ABS and liquid-liquid extraction whilst retaining their advantageous qualities, including compatibility with highly acidic solutions, water as the primary system component, the avoidance of organic diluents, rapid mass transfer, and the potential integration of the leaching and separation steps.

Origins of Clustering of Metalate-Extractant Complexes in Liquid-Liquid Extraction

Effective and energy-efficient separation of precious and rare metals is very important for a variety of advanced technologies. Liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) is a relatively less energy intensive separation technique, widely used in separation of lanthanides, actinides, and platinum group metals (PGMs). In LLE, the distribution of an ion between an aqueous phase and an organic phase is determined by enthalpic (coordination interactions) and entropic (fluid reorganization) contributions. The molecular scale details of these contributions are not well understood. Preferential extraction of an ion from the aqueous phase is usually correlated with the resulting fluid organization in the organic phase, as the longer-range organization increases with metal loading. However, it is difficult to determine the extent to which organic phase fluid organization causes, or is caused by, metal loading. In this study, we demonstrate that two systems with the same metal loading may impart very different organic phase organizations and investigate the underlying molecular scale mechanism. Small-angle X-ray scattering shows that the structure of a quaternary ammonium extractant solution in toluene is affected differently by the extraction of two metalates (octahedral PtCl₆^2- and square-planar PdCl₄^2-), although both are completely transferred into the organic phase. The aggregates formed by the metalate-extractant complexes (approximated as reverse micelles) exhibit a more long-range order (clustering) with PtCl₆^2- compared to that with PdCl₄^2-. Vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy and complementary atomistic molecular dynamics simulations on model Langmuir monolayers indicate that the two metalates affect the interfacial hydration structures differently. Furthermore, the interfacial hydration is correlated with water extraction into the organic phase. These results support a strong relationship between the organic phase organizational structure and the different local hydration present within the aggregates of metalate-extractant complexes, which is independent of metalate concentration.

Polarization analysis for small-angle neutron scattering with a 3He spin filter at a pulsed neutron source

Neutron polarization analysis (NPA) for small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments using a pulsed neutron source was successfully achieved by applying a 3He spin filter as a spin analyzer for the neutrons scattered from the sample. The cell of the 3He spin filter gives a weak small-angle scattering intensity (background) and covers a sufficient solid angle for performing SANS experiments. The relaxation time of the 3He polarization is sufficient for continuous use for approximately 2 days, thus reaching the typical duration required for a complete set of SANS experiments. Although accurate evaluation of the incoherent neutron scattering, which is predominantly attributable to the extremely large incoherent scattering cross section of hydrogen atoms in samples, is difficult using calculations based on the sample elemental composition, the developed NPA approach with consideration of the influence of multiple neutron scattering enabled reliable decomposition of the SANS intensity distribution into the coherent and incoherent scattering components. To date, NPA has not been well established as a standard technique for SANS experiments at pulsed neutron sources such as the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC) and the US Spallation Neutron Source. It is anticipated that this work will contribute significantly to the accurate determination of the coherent neutron scattering component for scatterers in various types of organic sample systems in SANS experiments at J-PARC, particularly for systems involving competition between the coherent and incoherent scattering intensity.

Competitive extraction of Li, Na, K, Mg and Ca ions from acidified aqueous solutions into chloroform layer containing diluted alkyl phosphates

Alkyl phosphates were extensively used in liquid-liquid extraction of lanthanides and actinides, but to a lesser extent for alkali and alkaline earth metals. The high amount of alkyl phosphate, which is usually used in the organic layer (>40 wt%), is not favoured due to its corrosive effect and toxicity. In the present work, diluted chloroform solutions (20.0 mM) of tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP), tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphates (TRIS) and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (BIS) were investigated for their extraction of Li, Na, K, Mg and Ca ions. The extraction experiments were conducted on 7.0 M HNO₃ aqueous solutions containing 60.0 mM of metal ions in binary (Li⁺ and Mg²⁺), ternary (Li⁺, Na⁺ and K⁺) and quinary (Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺) mixtures. The Li⁺ selectivity over Mg²⁺ was very high in the binary system. Remarkably, increasing HNO₃ concentration in the aqueous layer had opposing effect on the extraction of Li⁺ (positive) and Mg²⁺ (negative). However, the selectivity for Li⁺ became less dramatic in the case of ternary and quinary system, though the selectivity varied with initial metal concentrations. The amounts of water and NO₃^- transferred into the organic layer demonstrated their synergistic effect on extracting metal ions. In the ternary and quinary systems, the total concentrations of metal ions in the organic layer (ranged from 49 to 85 mM) were higher than the concentration of ligand in the organic layer (20.0 mM), suggesting that metal ions may be extracted into water/ligand/NO₃^- aggregates in the organic layer. TBP, TRIS and BIS do not have significant difference in their extraction behaviour. The FTIR results indicated formation of P⁺-O^-M⁺/M²⁺ in the solid TBP/metal complex.

Ion-specific clustering of metal-amphiphile complexes in rare earth separations

The nanoscale structure of a complex fluid can play a major role in the selective adsorption of ions at the nanometric interfaces, which is crucial in industrial and technological applications. Here we study the effect of anions and lanthanide ions on the nanoscale structure of a complex fluid formed by metal-amphiphile complexes, using small angle X-ray scattering. The nano- and mesoscale structures we observed can be directly connected to the preferential transfer of light (La and Nd) or heavy (Er and Lu) lanthanides into the complex fluid from an aqueous solution. While toluene-based complex fluids containing trioctylmethylammonium-nitrate (TOMA-nitrate) always show the same mesoscale hierarchical structure regardless of lanthanide loading and prefer light lanthanides, those containing TOMA-thiocyanate show an evolution of the mesoscale structure as a function of the lanthanide loading and prefer heavy lanthanides. The hierarchical structure indicates the presence of attractive interactions between ion-amphiphile aggregates, causing them to form clusters. A clustering model that accounts for the hard sphere repulsions and short-range attractions between the aggregates has been adapted to model the X-ray scattering results. The new model successfully describes the nanoscale structure and helps in understanding the mechanisms responsible for amphiphile assisted ion transport between immiscible liquids. Accordingly, our results imply different mechanisms of lanthanide transport depending on the anion present in the complex fluid and correspond with anion-dependent trends in rare earth separations.

Hierarchical phenomena in multicomponent liquids: simulation methods, analysis, chemistry

Complex, multicomponent, solutions have often been studied solely through the lens of specific applications of interest. Yet advances to both simulation methodologies (enhanced sampling, etc.) and analysis techniques (network analysis algorithms and others), are creating a trove of data that reveal transcending characteristics across vast compositional phase space. This perspective discusses technical considerations of the reliable and accurate simulations of complex solutions, followed by the advances to analysis algorithms that elucidate coupling of different length and timescale behavior (hierarchical phenomena). The different manifestations of hierarchical phenomena are presented across an array of solution environments, emphasizing fundamental and ongoing science questions. With a more advanced molecular understanding in hand, a quintessential application (solvent extraction) is discussed, where significant opportunities exist to re-imagine the technical scope of an established technology.

A Telescoping View of Solute Architectures in a Complex Fluid System

Short- and long-range correlations between solutes in solvents can influence the macroscopic chemistry and physical properties of solutions in ways that are not fully understood. The class of liquids known as complex (structured) fluids-containing multiscale aggregates resulting from weak self-assembly-are especially important in energy-relevant systems employed for a variety of chemical- and biological-based purification, separation, and catalytic processes. In these, solute (mass) transfer across liquid-liquid (water, oil) phase boundaries is the core function. Oftentimes the operational success of phase transfer chemistry is dependent upon the bulk fluid structures for which a common functional motif and an archetype aggregate is the micelle. In particular, there is an emerging consensus that mass transfer and bulk organic phase behaviors-notably the critical phenomenon of phase splitting-are impacted by the effects of micellar-like aggregates in water-in-oil microemulsions. In this study, we elucidate the microscopic structures and mesoscopic architectures of metal-, water-, and acid-loaded organic phases using a combination of X-ray and neutron experimentation as well as density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulations. The key conclusion is that the transfer of metal ions between an aqueous phase and an organic one involves the formation of small mononuclear clusters typical of metal-ligand coordination chemistry, at one extreme, in the organic phase, and their aggregation to multinuclear primary clusters that self-assemble to form even larger superclusters typical of supramolecular chemistry, at the other. Our metrical results add an orthogonal perspective to the energetics-based view of phase splitting in chemical separations known as the micellar model-founded upon the interpretation of small-angle neutron scattering data-with respect to a more general phase-space (gas-liquid) model of soft matter self-assembly and particle growth. The structure hierarchy observed in the aggregation of our quinary (zirconium nitrate-nitric acid-water-tri-n-butyl phosphate-n-octane) system is relevant to understanding solution phase transitions, in general, and the function of engineered fluids with metalloamphiphiles, in particular, for mass transfer applications, such as demixing in separation and synthesis in catalysis science.

Surfactant-enhanced heterogeneity of the aqueous interface drives water extraction into organic solvents

Liquid/liquid extraction (LLE) is one of the most industrially relevant separations methods. Adsorbed surfactant is demonstrated to enhance interfacial heterogeneity and lead to water protrusions that form the basis for transport into the organic phase.