The role of macrocyclic compounds in the extraction and possible separation of platinum and rhodium from chloride solutions

Macrocyclic compounds (crown ethers), specifically 18-crown-6 (18-C-6), benzo-15-crown-5 (B-15-C-5), di-benzo-18-crown-6 (DB-18-C-6) and di-cyclohexano-18-crown-6 (DC-18C-6), are used as extractants as well as synergists with amine-group extractants. Platinum and rhodium belong to platinum-group metals (PGMs) and have very similar ionic radii and similar properties. The separation of PGMs is most useful for the preparation of functional materials. Macrocyclic compounds are tested for platinum and rhodium separation and are found to achieve marginal separation. Amines (used as extractants) are paired with macrocyclic compounds (used as synergists), and the separation factor between platinum and rhodium is increased with synergistic enhancement from a chloride solution. The present study discusses extraction chemistry, separation factors and the synergy between platinum and rhodium from chloride solutions. To ensure accurate data, the aqueous samples in this study are analyzed using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES).