Electrochemical properties and extraction of cerium(III) in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquid with different electrode - 5337

Ionic liquids (ILs) are being evaluated as a substitute to the traditional high temperature molten salts in pyro-processing of spent nuclear fuels. The electrochemical behaviors of CeCl₃ in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (bmimCl) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (bmimBF₄) are investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) at platinum (Pt) and glassy carbon (GC) working electrode in the temperature range of 343-373 K. The electrochemical reaction of Ce(III) to Ce(II) at Pt electrode in bmimCl is regarded as the quasi-reversible reaction in the temperature range of 343-373 K, because the estimated standard rate constant values (7.66-12.1)*10^-5 cm/s are in the range quasi-reversible (0.3*ν^1/2 ≥ k_s ≥ 2*10^-5 *ν^1/2 cm/s) by computing the diffusion coefficients of (5.13 - 31.4)*10^-8 cm²/s. (authors)