Compositions and methods for the separation of metals

Abstract

Methods and compositions are described for preparing metal salts and selectively separating metals from substrates and other metals. The methods can include a thionyl reagent that reacts with a metal in a solution to produce a metal salt. The reaction can be controlled by varying reagents and conditions such that the method can be used to selectively separate one or more metals from another metal or from a substrate. The method can also be used for removing metals from a surface. Compositions produced by the method are also described.

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A method for separating at least one metal from a substrate, the method comprising:
 a) introducing the substrate by solution phase contact or vapor phase contact to a solution comprising SOX 1 X 2 ;   b) reacting the at least one metal with at least a portion of the SOX 1 X 2  in the solution to form a reaction solution, wherein the reaction solution comprises a metal salt of the at least one metal, and   c) separating the reaction solution containing the metal salt from the substrate   wherein X 1  is Cl or Br and X 2  is a halide, OR 1  or NR 2 R 3  and R 1 , R 2 , and R 3  are each independently a C 1 -C 6  alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, or carbonyl.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein X 2  is Cl, Br, or OR 1 . 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein SOX 1 X 2  is SOCl 2 . 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the solution further comprises a donor solvent. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the donor solvent is N,N′-dimethylformamide, pyridine, imidazole, thiazole, oxazole, pyridazine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, triazine, pyrrolidine, pyrrolidone, isoxazole, isothiazole, or pyrazole. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the donor solvent is N,N′-dimethylformamide, pyridine or imidazole. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the solution further comprises a dissolving solvent. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the dissolving solvent is an organic solvent. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the dissolving solvent is acetonitrile. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising
 d) recovering at least a portion of the substrate that was separated from the reaction solution, and   e) repeating steps a through c with the recovered substrate.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one metal is copper, nickel, iron, tin, indium, silver, gold or palladium. 
     
     
         20 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one metal is gold, silver or palladium. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one metal is gold, silver or palladium, and the solution further comprises a donor solvent. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the reacting the metal with the SOX 1 X 2  solution comprises stirring, mixing, controlling the temperature or sonicating the solution. 
     
     
         25 - 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A method for selectively separating at least one metal from a substrate, wherein the substrate comprises platinum and at least one other metal, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) introducing the substrate to an organic solution comprising SOX 1 X 2  and a donor solvent,   b) reacting the at least one other metal with the organic solution to form a reaction solution, wherein the reaction solution comprises a metal salt of the at least one other metal, and   c) separating the reaction solution containing the metal salt from the substrate containing the platinum,   wherein X 1  is Cl or Br and X 2  can be a halide, OR 1  or NR 2 R 3 , R 1 , R 2 , and R 3  are each independently a C 1 -C 6  alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, or carbonyl, and   wherein the donor solvent is N,N′-dimethylformamide, pyridine, imidazole, thiazole, oxazole, pyridazine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, triazine, pyrrolidine, pyrrolidone, isoxazole, isothiazole, or pyrazole.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the at least one metal is copper, nickel, iron, tin, indium, silver, gold or palladium or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the donor solvent is N,N′-dimethylformamide, pyridine or imidazole. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the at least one metal is gold, silver or palladium. 
     
     
         36 . A method for separating a noble metal from a substrate, the method comprising:
 a) introducing the substrate to an organic solution comprising SOX 1 X 2  and a donor solvent,   b) reacting the noble metal with at least a portion of the SOX 1 X 2  in the organic solution to form a reaction solution, wherein the reaction solution comprises a noble metal salt, and   c) separating the reaction solution containing the noble metal from the substrate,   wherein X 1  is Cl or Br and X 2  can be a halide, OR 1  or NR 2 R 3 , and R 1 , R 2 , and R 3  are each independently a C 1 -C 6  alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, or carbonyl,   wherein the noble metal is gold, silver, or palladium or a combination thereof; and   wherein the donor solvent is N,N′-dimethylformamide, pyridine, imidazole, thiazole, oxazole, pyridazine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, triazine, pyrrolidine, pyrrolidone, isoxazole, isothiazole, or pyrazole.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein X 1  and X 2  are each independently Cl or Br. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the donor solvent is N,N′-dimethylformamide, pyridine or imidazole. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein, before step a), the substrate is first treated with a solution comprising SOX 1 X 2  without a donor solvent, then the substrate is separated from the non-donor solution and subjected to the remaining steps of the method. 
     
     
         40 - 47 . (canceled)