Understanding the Adsorption Properties of Terbium for Future Medical Use
Illustration of an idealized extraction chromatographic resin using DGA or LN extractants. By studying the adsorption properties of terbium on these DGA and LN resins, scientists gain insights into these properties for the entire lanthanide series. Image courtesy of Connor Holiski
To effectively separate similar metals in the lanthanide series, scientists need to take advantage of the small chemical differences between them. One method researchers use is column chromatography with special materials like DGA and LN resins. Most scientists change the acidity or add chemicals to improve the separation of these metals. Instead of focusing on these traditional methods, this study sought to gain a deeper understanding of the overall uptake process and identify ways to improve the separation of adjacent metals.
In this study, supported by the Department of Energy Isotope Program, managed by the Department of Energy Office of Science for Isotope R&D and Production, researchers explored how terbium binds to these resins as a function of temperature. The results showed that as the temperature goes up, these resins become less able to hold terbium. The researchers’ future studies will look at the uptake of gadolinium on these resins (terbium’s adjacent neighbor) to investigate if similar trends exist between both metals and if temperature impacts the ability to separate them. The research also studied how much terbium the resins could absorb at different concentrations and times using mathematical models to describe the process. More complex models worked better at explaining how terbium was absorbed, even though they were harder to interpret in terms of the physical process. Overall, this study provides important insights that can help design better methods for separating and purifying other radiolanthanides.
