Keywords: Calixarenes / Actinides / Lanthanides / Waste treatment / N ligandsThe effect of the presence of an additional ester or amide carboxy group in the 6-position of the pyridine nuclei of calixarene-based picolinamide ligands on the extraction and complexation properties of lanthanide(III) and actinide(III) metal ions was studied. For this purpose, six new ligands 1-6 were synthesized; their conformational properties were studied both in solution and in the solid state, and their binding properties towards lanthanide (Ln III ) and actinide (An III ) metal ions were determined under extracting conditions simulating those present in radioactive waste. In the presence of BrCosan as synergizer, a rather high efficiency in the extrac-