Complexing agents for metal cations and for anions

Abstract

In recent years, the selective complexation of some organic compounds with specific metal cations and anions have drawn the interest of many chemists. These compounds have been found useful in analytical, environmental and other industrial fields. For the purpose of developing new complexing agents and probing their complexation behaviors, a series of novel macrocychc polyether compoiuids has been thesized by members of the Bartsch Research Group. The complexation of crown ethers for alkali and alkaline earth metal cations will be determined by the metal picrate extraction method. Chromatographic colimans will be used to probe the anion selectivity of some new anion exchange resins. An ultrafiltration approach will be used to evaluate the complexation of heavy metals by a water-soluble polymer. A brief review of the literature for these methods follows.