Professor Freiser and his students will investigate the fundamental processes involved in liquid-liquid solvent extraction of metal species. This project in the area of Analytical and Surface Chemistry will involve kinetic and thermodynamic studies of solvent extraction mechanisms. Spectroscopic structural probes will be used to study the exact role of the liquid-liquid interface in solvent extraction separations. The results obtained from this investigation will be used to optimize extraction schemes as well as develop new analytical methods for the separation and extraction of metal compounds from analytical samples. %%% This project involves an extensive investigation of the fundamental mechanisms governing the liquid-liquid extraction of metals as metal ion chelate complexes. Such investigations are particularly significant because liquid-liquid solvent extraction is a commercially important technique for the separation and recovery of heavy metals. The results of this investigation will help to elucidate the mechanisms of similar processes such as liquid partition and micellar chromatography, membrane-based ion selective electrode responses and transport processes in biomembranes.
