Homogeneous Liquid-Liquid Extraction of Metal Ions with a Functionalized Ionic Liquid.
Binary mixtures of the ionic liquid betainium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide and water show an upper critical solution temperature. This solvent system has been used to extract metal ions by phase-transition extraction, using zwitterionic betaine as extractant. The system is efficient for the extraction of trivalent rare-earth, indium and gallium ions. This new type of metal extraction system avoids problems associated with the use of viscous ionic liquids, namely, the difficulty of intense mixing of the aqueous and ionic liquid phases by stirring.
Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, P.O. Box 2404, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium.
Tom Vander
TV
Hoogerstraete
Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, P.O. Box 2404, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium.
Bieke
B
Onghena
Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, P.O. Box 2404, B-3001 Heverlee, Belgium.
Koen
K
Binnemans
gallium; indium; ionic liquids; phase transitions; rare earths; solvent extraction; thermomorphic behavior