A New Customizable Surfactant LLPS Strategy for Sustainable and Highly Efficient Radioactive Metal Ion Separation

ABSTRACT The traditional aqueous‐organic biphasic extraction for separating radioactive metal ions faces major challenges due to heavy reliance on volatile organic solvents and the resulting refractory radioactive waste. Herein, we propose a customizable, sustainable, and efficient separation strategy for radioactive ions by using liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) phenomenon in two coexisting aqueous phases. Unlike conventional organic extraction systems, the LLPS platform operates without forming a bulk organic extraction phase. The LLPS is formed by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), and hexafluoroisopropyl alcohol (HFIP) (termed as SCH‐extraction system) and enables customized encapsulation of commercial extractants. The selectivity of SCH‐extraction system can be precisely tuned by adjusting parameters like the type of extractant and solution acidity, making it highly versatile for various separation scenarios. In simulated high‐level liquid waste (HLLW), the strategy achieved the separation factors of /Nd ³⁺ reaching 2.33 × 10 ⁴ , outperforming existing methods. This superior efficiency is driven by a dual mechanism: hydrophobic entrapment of metal‐extractant complexes and electrostatic attraction to the negatively charged condensate interface. Based on this, a thermodynamic model is proposed, providing rational design principles for optimizing the system for diverse separation applications. This strategy holds significant promise for separating valuable radioactive metal ions.