Education background

Ph.D., Peking University, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 2013
B.S., Peking University, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 2008

Experience

08/2018-present, Associated Professor, Division of Nuclear Chemistry & Technology, INET
08/2019-07/2020, Visiting Professor, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA
07/2013-07/2018, Assistant Professor, Division of Nuclear Chemistry & Technology, INET

Areas of Research Interests/ Research Projects

Dr. Sun’s research interests include chemistry and chemical engineering in the nuclear fuel cycle and coordination chemistry of lanthanides and actinides.

Chemistry and chemical engineering in the nuclear fuel cycle
(1) Process development and optimization for the extraction separation of radionuclides from high-level liquid waste.
(2) Aggregation behavior in the extraction separation of radionuclides using surface-active extractants, primarily associated with the formation of microemulsions.

Coordination chemistry of lanthanides and actinides
(1) Development of new conceptual frameworks for chemical bonding of f-electron by the study on the molecular geometry and electronic structure of lanthanide and actinide complexes using molecular spectroscopy techniques (such as X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy) in combination with density functional theory (DFT) calculations.
(2) Unraveling the relationship between the extraction ability of extractants and the bond covalency in the complexes of lanthanides and actinides by crystallization, ligand K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Research Status

2020-2023, National Natural Science Foundation of China
Covalency in the complexes of dithiophosphinic acids with lanthanides and actinides

2019-2022, National Natural Science Foundation of China
Coordination chemistry of lanthanides   and extraction of the trace ions in ionic liquids

2018-2021, State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense
Sub-project IV of the technological   research on the separation of high-level liquid waste (Process research, Phase   I)

2016-2018, China Association for Science and Technology
Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship (YESS) Program

2015-2018 Tsinghua University
Chemical behavior of key actinides and fission elements in the concentration and denitration of high-level liquid   waste

2015-2017, National Natural Science Foundation of China
Study on the microemulsions in the   extraction of Ln(III) and An(III) by bis (2,4,4-trimethylpentyl) dithiophosphinic   acid

Academic Achievement

Publications

Taoxiang Sun*, Chao Xu, Xiaofeng Xie, Jing Chen, Xuegang Liu*. Quantum  chemistry study on the extraction of trivalent lanthanide series by Cyanex301:  Insights from formation of inner- and outer-sphere complexes. ACS Omega, 2018, 3: 4070-4080.
Rong Yi, Chao Xu, Taoxiang Sun*, Yaxing Wang, Gang Ye,  Shuao Wang, Jing Chen*.  Improvement of the  extraction ability of bis(2-propyloxy)calix[4]arene-crown-6 toward cesium  cation by introducing an intramolecular triple cooperative effect. Separation and  Purification Technology, 2018, 199: 97-104.
Wenbing Li, Wuhua  Duan, Taoxiang Sun*, Changjian Liu,  Jianchen Wang, Jing Chen.  Denitration of  simulated high-level liquid waste by formic acid for the connection of PUREX  process with TRPO process. Journal of  Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 2017, 314: 199-209.
Taoxiang Sun*, Chao Xu, Jing Chen,  Wuhua Duan*.  Formation of W/O  microemulsions in the extraction of the lanthanide series by purified Cyanex  301. Solvent  Extraction and Ion Exchange, 2017, 35: 199-209.
Taoxiang Sun*, Chao Xu, Jing Fu,  Qingde Chen, Xinghai Shen*.  Extraction of U(VI)  by the ionic liquid hexyltributylphosphonium bis  (trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imides: An experimental and theoretical study. Separation and  Purification Technology, 2017, 188: 386-393.
Taoxiang Sun*, Wuhua Duan, Yaxing  Wang, Shaowen Hu, Shuao Wang, Jing Chen, Xinghai Shen*. DFT calculation  and experimental validation on the interactions of  bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide and hexafluorophosphate with cesium. Journal of Molecular Structure, 2017, 1148: 206-212.
Taoxiang Sun*, Chao Xu, Jing Chen.  Formation of W/O  microemulsions in the extraction of Nd(III) by  bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)dithiophosphinic acid and its effect on Nd(III)  coordination. Dalton  Transactions, 2016, 45: 1078-1084.
Taoxiang Sun*, Wuhua Duan, Jinghui  Wang, Jianchen Wang, Jing Chen.  Hydraulic  and mass-transfer performance of a 20-mm-diameter annular centrifugal  contactor for the solvent extraction of cesium by  bis(2-propyloxy)calix[4]-crown-6 in n-octanol. Solvent  Extraction and Ion Exchange, 2015, 33: 75-90.

Last Updated：2020-10-07