Dialkyldiaza-tetraalkyloctane diamide derivatives useful for the separation of trivalent actinides from lanthanides and process for the preparation thereof

A process for the preparation of lipophilic extractant represented by the following structural formula:

• wherein R is a C4 to C5 normal alkyl and R′ is a C4 to C8 normal and branched alkyl group;
• the process comprising:
• condensing one mole of N,N′-dialkylethylenediamine of structural formula:
• with 2.2 to 5.0 moles of N,N-dialkyl-2-chloroacetamide of structural formula:
• in the presence of 2.2 to 10 moles of triethylamine as a reaction mixture;
• diluting the reaction mixture with xylene and neutralizing with 1.0M hydrochloric acid to produce an organic phase;
• separating the organic phase and washing it with water and 2.0% sodium carbonate solution and further washing it with water to neutral pH;
• drying the organic phase with anhydrous sodium sulphate and concentrating by distillation under reduced pressure to produce a residue;
• distilling the residue at 120° C. under vacuum of about 1.0 millitorr using centrifugal molecular distillation unit to remove unreacted N,N-dialkyl-2-chloroacetamide;
• obtaining the lipophilic extractant at a purity of about 96%.