Extraction of rhodium(III) with sulfoxides from hydrochloric acid solutions

Extraction of rhodium(III) from hydrochloric acid solutions with dihexyl sulfoxide (DHSO) and with petroleum sulfoxides (PSOs) was studied, and the optimal conditions for its recovery were found. At a phase contact time of up to 0.5 h, the extraction of rhodium(III) with sulfoxides occurred mainly by an ionassociation scenario. If the phase contact time exceeds 0.5 h, a mixed extraction scenario predominated to form the extracted complexes (L · H+) · [RhCl4L2]-(DHSO)o and PSO (LH+) · [RhCl4(H2O) · L]−. The protonation of the extraction agents occurred at the donor oxygen atoms of the sulfoxide group. When rhodium was extracted with PSOs, the coordination of the extractant molecule in the inner coordination sphere of the acido complex to the metal ion occurred through the donor sulfur atom of the sulfoxide group, while with the use of DHSO, through the donor atoms of sulfur and oxygen of the sulfoxide group. Electronic, 1H NMR, and IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis were used to determine the composition of the extracted compounds and suggest their structure.