Molecular design of lipophilic disalicylic acid compounds with varying spacers for selective lead(II) extraction.

Lipophilic disalicylic acids 5,5'-decyl-2,2'-[1,2-ethanediylbis(oxy)]bisbenzoic acid (1), 5,5'-decyl-2,2'-[1,3-propanediylbis(oxy)]bisbenzoic acid (2), 5,5'-decyl-2,2'-[oxybis(1,2-ethanediyl-oxy)]bisbenzoic acid (3), 3,5-bis[2'-(2''-carboxyphenoxy)ethyl]-4-oxahexacyclo-[5.4.1.0(2,6).0(3,10).0(5,9).0(8,11)]dodecane (4), and 1,3-bis[2'-(2''-carboxyphenoxy)ethyl]adamantane (5) are evaluated as selective Pb(II) extractants. The solvent extraction of Pb(II) and of Cu(II) from buffered aqueous solutions of varying pH into chloroform by ligands 1-5 is examined in relation to the molecular structure of the dicarboxylic acid extractant. Ligand 1, with an ethylene spacer between two lipophilic salicylic acid units, exhibits excellent extraction selectivity for Pb(II) over Cu(II). Lengthening the spacer in ligands 2 and 3 diminishes both the extraction efficiency and selectivity. Ligands 4 and 5, with rigid spacer units, show significant reductions in both Pb(II) and Cu(II) extraction. Slope analysis reveals that ligand 1 reacts in a 2:1 stoichiometry with Pb(II) in extraction, which differs from the 1:1 stoichiometries for 2 and 3. The differences in the half extraction pH (DeltapH(1/2)) values for Pb(II) and Cu(II) extraction are 1.29, 0.49, and 0.48 for 1-3, respectively.

Extraction Selectivities of Crown Ethers for Alkali Metal Cations: Differences between Single-Species and Competitive Solvent Extractions.

Separation factor values for pairs of alkali metal cations determined in competitive solvent extractions of alkali metal picrates from aqueous solutions into chloroform by a variety of benzo- and cyclohexano-group-containing crown ethers vary significantly from extrapolations based upon the results of single-species extraction experiments. For almost all of the crown ether-alkali metal cation combinations examined, the separation factor values are greater for competitive solvent extraction. In view of the unexpected results for sodium picrate extraction by dibenzo-24-crown-8, the solid-state structure of the isolated complex was determined.

A Calixarene-Based Fluorogenic Reagent for Selective Mercury(II) Recognition.

The first calixarene-based fluorogenic Hg(II)-selective extractant, 5,11,17,23-tetrakis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-25,27-bis(N-(5-dimethylaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonyl)carbamoylmethoxy)-26,28-dimethoxycalix[4]arene (2), is reported. In solvent extraction from aqueous acidic solutions (HNO(3)), 2 exhibits excellent selectivity for Hg(II) over a wide range of transition, alkali, and alkaline earth metal cations. Quenching of its fluorescence due to Hg(II) coordination is unaffected by the presence of 100-fold excesses of alkali metal cations, alkaline earth metal cations, Ag(I), Tl(I), Cd(II), Co(II), Cu(II), Ni(II), Pb(II), Pd(II), Zn(II), or Fe(III).