AbstractThis paper is devoted to the steric aspects of the efficiency and selectivity of extractants in the process of extraction of metal cations from acidic aqueous solution into a nonpolar phase. The extraction of uranium, plutonium, americium, and europium by tertiary carbamoylmethyl phosphine oxides and polydiphenylphosphinylmethyl benzenes have been studied. The separation factors of uranium and plutonium from americium are measured. Tertiary carbamoylmethyl phosphine oxides and diphenylphosphinylmethyl benzenes of the ortho type are characterized by unusually high separation factors. The diphenylphosphinylmethyl derivatives of benzene of the meta type do not possess a high selectivity in the process of separation of uranium and plutonium from americium, but are more efficient in extraction of americium.