Use of ionic liquids for extraction separation and concentration of iodide ions in brine samples

Iodine in natural salt waters such as iodine-rich underground brine generally exists as iodide ions, and to extract iodide ions, it is necessary to oxidize them to nonpolar iodine molecules. In this study, we report that iodide ions in natural brine containing high concentrations of chloride ions can be quantitatively extracted without oxidation by extraction using ionic liquids. Extraction with the ionic liquids trihexyltetradecylphosphonium chloride and trioctyl ammonium chloride was found to be able to enrich trace amounts of iodide in brine samples up to 40- and 100-fold, respectively. The selectivity coefficients for I^- over Cl^- determined in this study clearly show that the ionic liquids have much higher I^-/Cl^- selectivity than typical strongly basic anion exchangers. Extraction with trihexyltetradecylphosphonium chloride was applicable as a preconcentration method for iodine determination by XRF analysis. Iodide ions extracted with trioctyl ammonium chloride were quantitatively stripped with an aqueous alkaline solution. These results indicate that ionic liquid extraction is useful for the separation and concentration of iodide from brines.