Calixarenes for Separations - ACS Publications - American Chemical

Chapter 17

Calixarenes as Ligands in Environmentally-Benign Liquid-Liquid Extraction Media

Downloaded by UNIV OF MISSOURI COLUMBIA on March 25, 2013 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: July 20, 2000 | doi: 10.1021/bk-2000-0757.ch017

Aqueous Biphasic Systems and Room Temperature Ionic Liquids Ann E . Visser, Richard P. Swatloski, Deborah H . Hartman, Jonathan G . Huddleston, and Robin D. Rogers 1

Department of Chemistry and Center for Green Manufacturing, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487

Calixarene partitioning in Aqueous Biphasic Systems (ABS) and Room Temperature Ionic Liquids (RTIL) has been studied to establish fundamental correlations between the nature of the solute and partitioning behavior in these novel systems that represent alternative liquid/liquid separation technologies. Sulfonated, water-soluble calix[6] and calix[4]arenes quantitatively partition to the polymer-rich phase of an A B S , but remain in the aqueous phase when contacted with a RTIL. In contrast, the distribution studies of unsubstituted calixarenes indicate their affinity for the RTIL. Substitution of hydrophilic or functional groups on the upper rim of the calixarenes tailors the solubility of the macrocycle necessary for adapting traditional complexants for use in novel solvent systems.

Separation processes are commonplace throughout science, from nuclear waste remediation to organic synthesis, as a means to ultimately segregate components of a mixture. To accommodate each process, conditions for separation are tailored to make them as efficient as possible, often employing one or more separation steps for complicated mixtures. Thus, solvent extraction (SX) and the associated formation of two-phase systems for partitioning and sequestering solutes in an organic solvent from an aqueous phase are of major importance in separations science (1,2). Solvent extraction has the advantages of rapid kinetics, high selectivity, and high throughput. This technology is regularly used on a large scale in industry. Corresponding author.

© 2000 American Chemical Society

In Calixarenes for Separations; Lumetta, G., et al.; ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2000.

223

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Green Chemistry and Alternative Separations Technologies The wide-spread usage of traditional S X systems has come to a crossroads as the emphasis for sustainable technology, or "Green Chemistry," takes into consideration the overall environmental impact of both the process and waste streams generated in a variety of industrial processes (3-6). In particular, organic solvents have come under intense scrutiny as many are classified Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and are associated with increasing regulations regarding their usage, disposal, and human health awareness. No doubt that environmental regulations for these chemicals will be a major factor for industry, as predicted in Vision 2020: 1998 Separations Roadmap, a recent report from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the Department of Energy (3). The report cited specific areas of emphasis, including separation science and the development of novel solvents, that will be crucial towards the continued growth of the chemical industry and compliance with societal standards and demands. Excerpts from another report (7) reference a publication by the U . S. National Research Council in which concerns under "High Priority Research Needs and Opportunities" include separation systems that are more "selective and efficient, to improve selectivity among solutes in separations." We are investigating Aqueous Biphasic Systems (ABS) (5,6,8-16) and Room Temperature Ionic Liquids (RTIL) (5,17,18) as alternatives to V O C s in liquid/liquid separations. A B S are composed of sufficient concentrations of both a water-soluble polymer and certain salts such that a two-phase system forms concurrently with the salting-out of the polymer. Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based A B S have demonstrated their utility in such areas as nuclear waste processing (12,19,20), small organic molecule partitioning (9,21,22), and metal ion separations (6,10,12,23-25). Extensive work has been carried out in P E G - A B S as that polymer is non-toxic, commercially available, and inexpensive. Since both phases are aqueous (each layer is over 80% water on a molar basis), non-traditional metal complexants can be used that are not viable for use in organic solvent liquid/liquid extraction systems. We have also recently established the use of RTIL in liquid/liquid separations (5,17,18). RTIL are liquids composed entirely of ions, the most widely studied comprised of organic cations (e.g., alkyl-methyl-imidazolium ion or alkylpyridinium) and hydrophobic anions ( P F ) . These RTIL exhibit solvent-like properties and can function as diluents for a wide range of materials (18,26-28). Certain RTIL are stable to air and moisture at room temperature, are immiscible with water, and, unlike traditional organic solvents, have no vapor pressure. It is the chemistry of the anion that governs the majority of the properties of these liquids and their true utility is realized when the synthesis is varied to include different anions; PF " salts are water immiscible and air stable (17,18,29), BF " are not stable in air but under certain compositions are water immiscible (29), and superacidic, albeit air and water sensitive, systems may be present with A1C1 " as the anion (27). Liquid/liquid extraction from aqueous systems can be carried out with ionic liquids, since the chemistry of PF " renders R T I L formed from it capable of forming a two-phase system with aqueous media (10,17,27,30). 6

6

4

4

6


225


Alternative Separation Technologies with Calixarene Extractants Selective separations can be induced or enhanced via the introduction of extractants. In particular, metal ion extraction in S X has relied heavily on the development of extractants that provide both selective metal ion complexation and increased preference of the metal for the extracting phase. For example, the chemistry of macrocyclic ligands, such as calixarenes, has focused on their size-selective ion complexation and transport properties (31-36). These basket-like molecules offer unique chemistry as the outside of the molecule is lipophilic while the core of the molecule provides a hydrophilic region. It is this behavior that renders them ideal for complexing metal ions and subsequent transport to a hydrophobic environment. Calixarenes also provide a rigid platform for hanging extracting groups at the upper rim (32) or the lower rim (33,37). The lower rim is hydrophilic while the upper rim is either hydrophilic or hydrophobic, depending on the substitution. Figure 1 shows the location and orientation of the sulfonic acid groups on the water soluble psulfonatocalix[4]arene (38).

Figure 1. Crystal structure ofp-sulfonatocalix[4]arene. Coordinatesfrom(38). It is the match between the solute size and the cavity size that allows only certain molecules or ions to enter and possibly bind, highlighting the selective nature exhibited by this class of molecules. For example, certain crown ether-functionalized calixarenes show an enhanced selectivity for cesium in the presence of other alkali cations (39). Thus, a considerable amount of calixarene science has focused on understanding the solid state and aqueous phase chemistry in order to capitalize on their potential. The structure of a calixarene with upper and lower functional groups provides a platform to further tailor the characteristics of the molecule to match the hydrophobicity of the extracting phase. In general, when using an extractant, optimal results will be obtained when the extractant quantitatively partitions to the extracting phase regardless of system pH. In traditional organic solvent-based liquid/liquid separations, the complexants are modified through the addition of long alkyl chains that increase the hydrophobicity of the molecule and, hence, its retention in the


226


organic phase. Calixarenes have shown their utility as host molecules for alkali and alkaline-earth metals (40), transition metals (38,40), and lanthanides (34). The new Green chemistry paradigm applied to separations will require not only the development of V O C alternatives that are inherently less polluting and more environmentally-friendly, but also the adaptation of traditional S X extractants to these systems. This will entail modifying the extractants and understanding their behavior in these novel systems to sustain efficient separations.

Experimental Polyethylene glycol (average molecular weight 2000) and all salts and dyes were obtained from Aldrich. Calix[4] and calix[6]arenes were obtained from Acros Organics (Fisher) and the 4-sulfonic acid, tert-butyl, and unsubstituted derivatives of each calixarene were used without further purification. F e C l and E u C l were obtained from Amersham. A l l solutions were made with deionized water polished to 18.3·ΜΩ·αη using a Barnstead Nanopure filtration system. RTIL were prepared in our laboratory following an established synthetic procedure (17) and subsequently stored in plastic bottles and equilibrated with water. Standard curves were constructed for the soluble calixarenes in both phases of each RTIL/aqueous system and each ABS/salt system. Equal volumes of both phases were contacted, vortexed, and centrifuged. The phases were then separated and a known amount of calixarene was added to each phase and the absorbance at 283 nm was measured. No spectral interferences were observed for the R T I L phase or the PEG-rich phase. There was a linear relationship between the absorbance and concentration, indicating these systems were within the limit of Beer's Law. Calixarene solutions were made in both the PEG and RTIL phase from which equal volumes of 40% PEG-2000 or appropriate RTIL solutions were taken and contacted with aqueous phases. The systems were vortexed and centrifuged twice for two minutes each and then the phases were separated. The absorbance of the solutions were measured in 1 mm length quartz cuvets from which the blank measurement was automatically subtracted. Concentrations of the calixarene in each phase were calculated using the equation for the standard curve. A l l metal ion partitioning experiments were carried out as above using radiotracers to monitor ion distribution. The distribution ratios were obtained by sampling 100 \ih aliquots from both phases for gamma ray emission analysis with a Packard Cobra II Auto-Gamma counting system. Experiments were conducted in duplicate and the results agree to within 5%. The spectrophotometrically and radiometrically determined distribution ratios were calculated as: 59

152

3

3

Ρ _ Concentration or Activity in the RTIL or P E G - rich phase Concentration or Activity in the aqueous or salt - rich phase


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Calixarene Partitioning in Aqueous Biphasic Systems In traditional SX, unsubstituted or /-butyl-calixarenes have a high affinity for the organic solvent (31,35). Thus, these molecules must be modified for optimal behavior in an entirely aqueous two-phase system. In A B S , the unique problem arises that the metal ion extractant must prefer the PEG-rich phase, not the salt-rich phase, even though both phases are aqueous. The partitioning of dyes has been studied in detail in A B S (11,41) and particular success for PEG-rich phase affinity was found for aromatic dyes that contained a sulfonic acid group that dramatically increased the water solubility and the preference for the PEG-rich phase. Figure 2 shows quantitative partitioning for several sulfonated azo dyes.

OH

in Stock Solution, M

OH

Orange G

S 0

'

N a

Figure 2. Partitioning and structures of three sulfonated dyes in PEG-2000 ABS prepared by mixing equal volumes of 40% PEG-2000 and (NH4)2S04 stock solutions of increasing concentrations. For these complexing dyes, the azo group coordinates metal ions, as shown by the Cr * complex of acid alizarin violet Ν in Figure 3. Metal ions are coordinated to both nitrogens and the presence of an oxygen in the position ortho to the azo groups appears to play an important role in the successful complexation of the metal ions. Complexation reduces the hydration sphere around the metal ion and facilitates transport into an organic solvent. Thus, sulfonated, water-soluble azo dyes can be used as metal extractants due to their preference for the PEG-rich phase and their metal complexing ability. 3


228

FepH_=8 FepH = 4 . . . 0

/

0

Eu pH = 8


.o §06

£

.o* o- .· · ' ο ΙΟ

5

EupH = 4

4

ioΙΟ" Dye Concentration, M +

Figure 4. D Values for Fe$

Figure 3. Structure of the complex in Cr(AAV)(OH2)3*4H20. Formation of a 2:1 complex dehydrates the metal ion.

io-

3

+

and Eu$

in 40% PEG-2000/3.5 M (NE4)2SO4 ABS with increasing AA V concentration.

Acid alizarin violet Ν ( A A V ) enhances the partitioning of several metal ions to the PEG-rich phase, as shown for Fe(III) and Eu(III) in Figure 4. In contrast to the distribution ratios observed in the absence of dye (0.059 for E u and 0.066 for Fe ), there is a significant enhancement in the presence of A A V . The partitioning results can be correlated to the complexation constants for each metal ion with the molecule. At p H 4 and 8, the sulfonic acid groups are ionized (log K = 0.8 and log K ^ y = 0.88 (42)). Analysis of the results indicates that a 2:1 dye:metal complex forms for all cases except Fe at pH 8 where lower dye concentrations need to be studied before such a determination can be made. The unsubstituted and terf-butyl derivatives of both calix[4] and calix[6]arene are hydrophobic and indeed these ligands do not dissolve in either the salt-rich or P E G rich phase of PEG-2000/(NH ) SO A B S , precluding their study in these systems. The upper-rim sulfonated-calixarene derivatives, however, are water soluble and we studied their partitioning behavior in an A B S prepared by mixing equal aliquots of 40% (w/w) PEG-2000 and 3.5 M ( N H ) S 0 . In the pH range 2-10, the affinity of sulfonated-calix[4] and calix[6]arene for the PEG-rich phase is apparently independent of hydroxyl group ionization, although all sulfonic acid groups are deprotonated. A speciation diagram (Figure 5) for psulfonatocalix[4]arene indicates the first H is lost in acidic conditions, corresponding to a pKa, value less than 1 (35). Both sulfonated calix[4] and calix[6]arene display a high affinity for the polymer-rich phase (Figure 6). Partitioning of a series of sulfonated indigo dyes (41) has shown that the D values decrease as the number of sulfonic acid groups increases. 3+

P C V

3+

4

2

4

4

2

4


3+

2

229 Here, increasing both the size of the molecule and the number of sulfonic acid groups from four to six may increase the hydrophilicity and result in slightly lower D values.

~ 0.0012

10

t/3 £

3

0.0010 /7-SulfonatocaIix[4]arene


'§ 0.0008 2 0.0006 c s I 0.0004

10

2

/7-Sulfonatocalix[6]arene

Calixarenes for Separations - ACS Publications - American Chemical

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