Liquid-liquid extraction of ferric ions into the ionic liquids

Abstract

Imidazolium ionic liquids containing acetylacetone, thenoyltrifluoroacetone, or 8-hydroxy quinoline, respectively, were used as the extracting agents for the separation of traces of iron (III) from its aqueous solutions with or without citric and oxalic acids. The results show that 8-hydroxyquinoline in imidazolium ionic liquids extract iron quantitatively from all the tested solutions including complexing ones, regardless of indications of unexpected iron behavior/speciation.