STUDIA UNIVERSITATIS BABE-BOLYAI, PHYSICA, SPECIAL ISSUE, 2001 SPECTROSCOPICAL INVESTIGATION OF SOME CALIXNARENES DERIVATIVES UTILISABLE AS METAL EXTRACTING AGENTS CRISTINA CIOCAN, ELISABETH-JEANNE POPOVICI, CRINA DAN, MARIA VDAN, RODICA GRECU and N. POPOVICI “Raluca Ripan” Institute of Chemistry, 30 Fntnele, 3400-Cluj-Napoca ROMANIA ABSTRACT. p-tert-butil-calixnarene n=4,6 and their corresponding acetate-derivatives were prepared by specific procedures. The calixnarenes purity was checked by elemental analysis and various spectroscopic methods such as RMN, MS-GC, UV-Vis and FTIR. The ability of calixarenes acetates to extract precious metallic ions from aqueous solutions was tested. The high effectiveness of O-acetilated p-t-butil calix6 arene to extract Pt(II) ions was demonstrated in relation with Pd2+ and Rh3+ species. Key words: calixarenes; liquid extraction; precious metal ions extraction. 1. INTRODUCTION Calixnarenes are polinuclear compounds that act as selective complexation agents for electrical charged or neutral species. The high complex-formation ability of calixnarenes offers them large utilization possibilities in the manufacture of sensitive membranes, elaboration of some selective extraction methods for various cations and anions, realization of modern metal recovery procedures and for the environmental protection. The purpose of this study is to present our attempt to prepare some O-acetilated p-tert-butil-calixnarene in order to test their ability to co-ordinate precious metallic ions. 2. EXPERIMENTAL PART p-tert-butyl -calix4arene and calix6arene were prepared and purified by C.D.Gutsche technique1,2. The as mentioned calixarenes were converted into the corresponding acetate derivatives by using acetic acid anhydride as O-acetilating reagent (reaction #1). In this respect, about 2 mmol of p-tert-butyl calixnarene was treated with 50 ml of acetic acid anhydride and two drops of concentrated sulfuric acid3. The mixture was heated and refluxed for 2 hours. CH2 C(CH3)3 n + n (CH3CO)2O H2SO4 -n H2O OH n C(CH3)3 CH2 OCOCH3 + n CH3COOH (1) The crude product was recrystallised from chloroform/methanol. White platelets were obtained with a yield of 45-47%. The purity of as prepared products was checked out by elemental analysis as well as by IR, UV-Vis, 1H NMR and mass spectroscopy. CRISTINA CIOCAN ET AL. 452 The metallic ions extraction was performed by using chloroform solutions of calix4arene tetraacetate (noted C4Ta) or calix6arene hexaacetate (noted C6Ha) as extraction agents4,5. In this respect, 10 ml aliquots oh hydrochloric acid solutions of palladium, platinum or rhodium ions (100 g Mz+ /ml) were quantitatively transferred into separating funnels and vigorously shaken with 10 ml 5.10-4 mol/l solutions of C4Ta or C6Ha. The precious metallic ions concentration into the aqueous medium was determined before and after the liquid-liquid extraction and the metal extraction degree was evaluated. 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 3.1. Characterisation of calixnarene derivatives The spectral characteristics of p-tert-butyl calix(4)arene (noted C4A) were as follows: IR(KBr): 3400, 3150 cm-1 (OH stretching) and the fingerprint in the 1500- 1000 cm-1domain; UV-Vis: 243 nm, 279.5 nm, 287.5 nm. The elemental analysis results are 79.35%C, 8.72%H as compared with the theoretical values 81.44%C, 8.70%H. The spectral characteristics of p-tert-butyl calix(6)arene (noted C6A) were as follows: IR(KBr): 3400, 3120 cm-1 (OH stretching) and the fingerprint in the 1500- 1000 cm-1domain; 1H NMR (CDCl3): 10.55 (s, 1, ArOH), 7.16 (s, 2, ArH), 3.90 (s, 2, CH2), 1.27 (s, 9, C(CH3)3); UV-Vis: 244 nm, 284 nm, 291nm. The elemental analysis results are 77.91%C, 7.80%H.as compared with the theoretical data 81.44%C, 8.70%H. The main spectral characteristics of tetraacetato-calix(4)arene (noted C4Ta) were: IR(KBr): 1758 cm-1 (C=O stretching) and the fingerprint in the 1500-1000 cm-1 domain; UV-Vis: 244 nm, 267.5 nm, 276 nm; MS(3kV; 240C): m/e= 817(10); 816(28); 775(29); 774(100); 733(34); 732 (64); 691(17); 690(36);57(43); 43(82). The elemental analysis results are 75.24%C, 7.82%H.as compared with the theoretical values 76.44%C, 7.90%H. The main spectral characteristics of hexaacetato-calix(6)arene (noted C6Ta) were: IR(KBr): 1762 cm-1 (C=O stretching) and the fingerprint in the 1500-1000 cm-1 domain; UV-Vis: 245 nm, 266.5 nm, 275 nm; MS(2kV; 270C): m/e =1225(2); 1224(3); 1205(5); 1204(9); 1182(7); 1165(36); 1164(40); 1123(31)57(70); 43(100) The elemental analysis results are 75.23%C, 7.95%H as compared with the theoretical values 76.44%C, 7.90%H. The calixnarenes derivatives formation was confirmed by the spectroscopic methods used for samples characterisation (fig. 1-4). Elemental analysis indicates relatively lower values for carbon and hydrogen amounts thus suggesting a certain degree of solvent absorption into the calixnarene cavity. SPECTROSCOPICAL INVESTIGATION OF SOME CA