Bulk Liquid Membrane Transport of Some Main Group Metal Ions (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+) Facilitated by Non-Cyclic Synthetic Ionophores Composed of Furan - Units.

Transport of Na+, K+, Cn2+, Mg2+ picrates (Pic), dinitrophenolates (dnp) & orthonitrophenolates (onp) through liquid membranes (Chloroform & 1,2 dichloroethane) containing synthesized linear oligomers IIIa (1,1' ethyledenebis 5-(methyl furfuryl) furan and IIIb [2,2' isopropyledenebis (5-dimethyl fur-furyl furan) as carriers were studied. In a chloroform membrane these oligomers are highly specific for Na+. The selectivity (Na+/K+) is decreased, when a binary mixture of Na+/K+ salts is used. No transport was observed in the case of Ca2(+), but both ligands show exclusive specificity for Mg2(+). However all the cations are transported to a greater extent, when the counter anion is picrate. When the membrane solvent is 1, 2 dichloroethane, the transport of bivalent cations is more efficient than monovalent cations, and Ca2(+) transport is greatly enhanced.