The design, synthesis and evaluation of 1,10-phenanthroline derived extractants for the separation of the trivalent minor actinides (An(III)) from the chemically analogous trivalent lanthanides (Ln(III)) is described herein. In addition to providing an exclusive mechanistic insight into the extraction behavior of 2,9-bis-triazinyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BTPhen) ligands, this research encompasses substantial synthetic progress and identifies a number of new and improved candidates for An(III) partitioning in advanced future nuclear fuel cycles.