Enhanced separation of Pd(Ⅱ)and Pt(Ⅳ)from hydrochloric acid aqueous solution using 2-((2-methoxyethyl)thio)-1H-benzimidazole

Separation of palladium(Pd)and platinum(Pt)by solvent extraction is difficult because of their extremely similar physicochemical properties.Development of new extractants with a high extraction efficiency and excellent separation selectivity is the primary focus for enhancing the separation of Pd and Pt by solvent extraction.In this study,a new extractant,2-((2-methoxyethyl)thio)-1 H-benzimidazole(MOBI),which contains N,S,and O atoms,was synthesized and used to separate Pd(Ⅱ)and Pt(Ⅳ)from a hydrochloric acid aqueous solution.The experimental results revealed that Pd(Ⅱ)and Pt(Ⅳ)were effectively separated under the optimal conditions:MOB I concentration of 0.005 mol·L^(-1),HCl concentration of0.2 mol·L^(-1),organic/aqueous(O/A)phase ratio of 1.0,and contact time of 15 min.The separation coefficient between Pd(Ⅱ)and Pt(Ⅳ)was 1246.40,which indicates that MOBI has a higher selectivity for Pd(Ⅱ)than Pt(Ⅳ).In addition,the mechanism of coordination between Pd(Ⅱ)and MOBI was demonstrated through the slope method,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),hydrogen-1 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy(^(1)H NMR),and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy(^(13)C NMR).The results revealed that MOBI could coordinate with Pd(Ⅱ)via the N atom in the benzimidazole ring of MOBI molecules to form[Pd(MOBI)_(2)Cl_(2)](O).