Liquid-Liquid Extraction of Less-Common Metal Complexes: The System Au(CN)4-/Methyltrioctylammonium Chloride/Toluene
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The extraction equilibrium between aqueous gold (III) cyanide solutions and ionic liquid methyltrioctylammonium chloride (TOMAC) was investigated. The results showed that the ionic liquid extracts gold(III)-cyanide complex from a wide range of pH values. The extracted complex can be represented by the formula TOMA+Au(CN)4- (log Kext=2.43±0.11 (U= 0.0375)), thus, the Au(CN)4- species is extracted by the quaternary ammonium salt as a chemically unchanged gold(III)-complex (CN- stretching vibration at 2190 cm-1), in a manner similar to that shown for Au(CN)2-. The affinity of the ionic liquid for Au(CN)4- is greater than that for the gold(I)-cyanide complex. Gold(III) loaded onto the organic phase can be stripped using perchlorate solutions. The Au(CN)4- has been used as a precursor to yield nanogold.
Author: Alguacil, Francisco Jose
Language: English
Subfield: Metals and Alloys
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7224882866