Process of using polytetraalkylammonium and polytrialkylamine-containing ligands bonded to inorganic supports for removing and concentrating desired ions from solutions

A method for the concentration and removal of desired ions selected from the group consisting of PtCl.sub.6.sup.2-, PtCl.sub.4.sup.2-, PdCl.sub.4.sup.2-, RhCl.sub.6.sup.3-, IrCl.sub.6.sup.3-, RuCl.sub.6.sup.3-, IrCl.sub.6.sup.2-, RuCl.sub.6.sup.2-, BiCl.sub.6.sup.3-, CrO.sub.4.sup.2-, SeO.sub.4.sup.2-, IO.sub.3.sup.-, IO.sub.4.sup.-, TcO.sub.4.sup.-, MnO.sub.4.sup.-, ReO.sub.4.sup.-, AuCl.sub.4-, HgCl.sub.4.sup.2-, PbCl.sub.4.sup.2-, SbCl.sub.6.sup.3-, SnCl.sub.4.sup.2-, SnCl.sub.6.sup.2-, SeO.sub.3.sup.2-, AsO.sub.4.sup.3-, and AsO.sub.3.sup.3- from a source solution which comprises

• (a) bringing said source solution having a first volume into contact with a compound comprising a polytetraalkylammonium- and/or polytrialkylamine-containing ligand covalently bonded to a solid inorganic support having the formula:
• ##STR10## wherein Spacer is a 1 to 10 carbon member hydrophilic grouping;
• A is a member selected from the group consisting of NR.sub.x, S and O where x is an integer such that all nitrogens are either quaternary or tertiary;
• B, D, G, and L are members selected from the group consisting of NR.sub.x, S, and O, or SH and OH when S and O are located in a terminal position, with x being an integer such that the nitrogen atoms present are quaternary or tertriary;
• a, c, f and h are each integers ranging from 1 to 5;
• e and j are each integers ranging from 0 to 25;
• and k is an integer of 0 or 1;
• with the proviso that k must be O when A is S or O;
• R is a member selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl or substituted lower alkyl;
• with the further proviso that at least two of A, B, D, G or L must be a member selected from the group consisting of tetraalkylammonium, substituted tetraalkylammonium, trialkylamine, or substituted trialkylamine and X, Y, and Z are each a member selected from the group consisting of Cl, Br, I, alkyl, alkoxy, substituted alkyl, substituted alkoxy and O-solid support with the provisno that at least one of X, Y, and Z must be O-solid support;
• said polytetraalkylammonium and/or polytrialkylamine containing ligand portion of said compound having an affinity for the desired ions to form a complex between said desired ions and said polytetraalkylammonium and/or polytrialkylamine containing ligand portion of said compound;
• (b) removing said source solution from contact with said compound to which said desired ions have been complexed;
• and
• (c) contacting said compound having said desired ions complexed thereto with a smaller volume of a receiving solution having a greater affinity for said desired ions than said compound or greater affinity for said compound than said desired ions thereby breaking said complex and recovering the desired ions in concentrated form in said smaller volume of said receiving solution.