Patent ID: 7091338

Claim:
A method for purifying a predetermined water-insoluble extractant selected from the group consisting of a macrocyclic polyether, acyclic polyether, polyamine, polythioether, a calixarene, a cryptand and a porphyrin from a composition containing one or more additional extractants, synthesis reaction starting materials and reaction byproducts that comprises the steps of: (a) providing a liquid phase composition containing said predetermined extractant and one or more additional extractants, synthesis reaction starting materials, and reaction byproducts that are dissolved as solutes in an organic diluent; (b) admixing an ion-containing compound with said composition to form an extractant/ion complex and a new phase, said extractant/ion complex having a greater affinity for said new phase than for said liquid phase, wherein if said ion also forms a further complex with said one or more additional extractants, synthesis reaction starting materials, and reaction byproducts that may be present in said composition, any such further complex formed exhibits less of an affinity for said new phase than does said predetermined extractant/ion complex; (c) separating said predetermined extractant/ion complex from said first named phase by using said new phase affinity; (d) separating said separated predetermined extractant/ion complex into extractant and ion; and (e) recovering said predetermined extractant.