TETRAAZADODECANE BASED CHELATING AGENTS FOR SEPARATION OF RARE EARTH ELEMENTS AND METHOD THEREFOR

The present invention relates to the use of compounds of general formula (I) for separations of rare earth elements (lanthanides) by precipitation, wherein R1 is selected from the group consisting of H; -CH2COOH; R2, R3, R4, R5 and R6 are independently selected from the group consisting of H; OH; -NO2; -COOH; phenyl; and/or R2 and R3 or R3 and R4 or R4 and R5 or R5 and R6 together with two neighbouring carbon atoms of the aromatic ring form a six-membered aromatic ring. The invention further relates to a method of separation of rare earth elements by precipitation.