Supramolecular Chemistry of Selective Anion Recognition for Anions of Environmental Relevance

The last three years of this project have focused on the basic chemical aspects of anion receptor design of functional pH independent systems, with the ultimate goal of targeting the selective binding of sulfate, as well as design of separations strategies for selective and efficient removal of targeted anions. Key findings during these years include: (1) the first synthetic sulfate-selective anion-binding agents; (2) simple, structure-based methods for modifying the intrinsic anion selectivity of a given class of anion receptors; and (3) the first system capable of extracting sulfate anion from acidic, nitrate containing aqueous media. Areas probed during the last funding period include: (1) Design, synthesis, and physical and structural characterization of receptors; (2) Examination of the technique known as ITIES, Interface Between Two Immiscible Electrolyte Solutions, as an analytical probe for anion analysis; and (3) Investigation of anion and dual ion pair extraction using lipophilic amide receptors for anion binding