Process of extraction of a platinum group metal or gold from organic compositions with surfactants

1. A process of extraction of at least one metal chosen from the platinum group metals and gold from a first organic liquid composition comprising:

at least one metal chosen from the platinum group metals and gold, and

an organic solvent, said organic solvent being water immiscible,

wherein said process comprises the following steps:

a) contacting said first organic liquid composition with a first aqueous solution comprising a surfactant to obtain after phase separation,

a second aqueous solution comprising the at least one metal chosen from the platinum group metals and gold and the surfactant, and

a second organic liquid composition comprising the organic solvent;

b) recovering of said second aqueous solution,

said surfactant comprising:

an hydrophobic central core of valence m equal to 1, 2 or 3;

when m=1, a hydrophilic group G of the following formula, attached to the central core:

wherein:

R 7 is selected from H, C 1 -C 6 alkyl and CH 2 OR 10 ;

R 10 is H or a monosaccharide selected from glucose, galactose, mannose;

w is an integer from 1 to 30;

when m=2 or 3, the surfactant being then a dendrimer of generation n,

generation chains attached to the central core and branching around the core; and

an hydrophilic terminal group at the end of each generation chain;

wherein

n is an integer from 0 to 12;

the hydrophilic terminal group comprises:

a mono-, oligo- or polysaccharide residue,

a cyclodextrin residue,

a polyethylene glycol (PEG) residue,

a peptide residue,

a tris(hydroxymethyl)aminoethane (Tris), or

a 2-amino-2-methylpropane-1,3-diol;

the central core being:

when m=1, a group,

wherein:

W′ is R F or a group selected from W′1, W′2 or W′ 3 :

R F is a C 4 -C 10 perfluoroalkyl or a C 1 -C 24 alkyl group,

RH is a C 1 -C 24 alkyl group,

p is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4;

q is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4;

L′ is a linear or branched C 1 -C 12 alkylene group, optionally interrupted by one or more groups Y′;

Y′ at each occurrence is chosen from —OC(═O)—, —C(═O)O—, —O—C(═O)—NH—, —NH—C(═O)—O—, —OC(═O)—O—, —NHC(═O)—, —C(═O)—NH, —NHC(═O)NH—, —NHC(═O)O—, —O—C(═O)—NH—, —NH—, O— or —S—,

Y at each occurrence is chosen from —S—, —OC(═O)—, —C(═O)O—, —O—C(═O)—NH—, —NH—C(═O)—O—, —OC(═O)—O—, —NHC(═O)—, —C(═O)—NH, —NHC(═O)NH—, —NHC(═O)O—, —O—C(═O)—NH—, —NH— or —O—;

when m=2 or 3, a group of formula (Ia) or (Ib):

wherein:

W is R F or a group selected from W 0 , W 1 , W 2 or W 3 :

R F is a C 4 -C 10 perfluoroalkyl or a C 1 -C 24 alkyl group,

R H is a C 1 -C 24 alkyl group,

p is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4;

q is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4;

L is a linear or branched C 1 -C 12 alkylene group, optionally interrupted by one or more —O—, —S—,

Z is C(═O)NH or NHC(═O),

R is a C 1 -C 6 alkyl group, and

e is at each occurrence independently selected from 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said first organic liquid composition results from the liquid/liquid extraction of an original acidic aqueous phase comprising at least one metal chosen from the platinum group metals and gold, with said organic solvent.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent comprises or consists of an extractant of the at least one metal chosen from the platinum group metals and gold from an acidic aqueous solution and optionally, an organic diluent and/or a phase modifier.

4. The process according to claim 3 , wherein the extractant is chosen from the group comprising malonamides, alkyl sulfides, sulfoxides, hydroxyoximes, amines, ammonium salts, alkyl phosphine oxides, phosphine sulfides, ketones, thio and dithio-diglycolamides.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein:

said second aqueous solution comprises more than 50% of the at least one metal chosen from the platinum group metals and gold comprised in the first organic liquid composition; and/or

said second aqueous solution comprises less than 5% of the diluent comprised in the first organic liquid composition; and/or

said second aqueous solution comprises less than 2% of the extractant comprised in the first organic liquid composition; and/or

said second aqueous solution comprises more than 80% of the surfactant comprised in the first aqueous solution.

6. The process according to claim 1 , further comprising, after step b), a step c) of performing a platinum group metal or gold-catalyzed reaction under micellar conditions by contacting said second aqueous solution with the reactants of said platinum group metal or gold-catalyzed reaction to obtain the product of the platinum group metal or gold-catalyzed reaction under micellar conditions.

7. The process according to claim 3 , wherein the first organic liquid composition is obtained by extracting an original aqueous phase comprising at least one metal chosen from the platinum group metals and gold, with said extractant in presence of said diluent.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one metal chosen from the platinum group metals and gold originates from an aqueous phase comprising nitric acid.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the surfactant is selected from:

wherein w is as defined in claim 1 .

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one metal chosen from the platinum group metals and gold is palladium.

11. A process of extracting at least one metal chosen from the platinum group metals and gold from a liquid composition to an aqueous solution, said liquid composition comprising:

at least one metal chosen from the platinum group metals and gold, and

an organic solvent, said organic solvent being water immiscible,

wherein the process further comprises contacting the liquid composition with a surfactant comprising:

a hydrophobic central core of valence m equal to 1, 2 or 3;

when m=1, a hydrophilic group G of the following formula, attached to the central core:

wherein:

R 7 is selected from H, C 1 -C 6 alkyl and CH 2 OR 10 ;

R 10 is H or a monosaccharide selected from glucose, galactose, mannose;

w is an integer from 1 to 30;

when m=2 or 3, the surfactant being then a dendrimer of generation n,

generation chains attached to the central core and branching around the core; and

an hydrophilic terminal group at the end of each generation chain;

wherein

n is an integer from 0 to 12;

the hydrophilic terminal group comprises:

a mono-, oligo- or polysaccharide residue,

a cyclodextrin residue,

a polyethylene glycol (PEG) residue,

a peptide residue,

a tris(hydroxymethyl)aminoethane (Tris), or

a 2-amino-2-methylpropane-1,3-diol;

the central core being:

when m=1, a -L′-W′ group,

wherein:

W′ is R F or a group selected from W′ 1 , W′ 2 or W′ 3 :

R F is a C 4 -C 10 perfluoroalkyl or a C 1 -C 24 alkyl group,

R H is a C 1 -C 24 alkyl group,

p is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4;

q is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4;

L′ is a linear or branched C 1 -C 12 alkylene group, optionally interrupted by one or more groups Y′;

Y′ at each occurrence is chosen from —OC(═O)—, —C(═O)O—, —O—C(═O)—NH—, —NH—C(═O)—O—, —OC(═O)—O—, —NHC(═O)—, —C(═O)—NH, —NHC(═O)NH—, —NHC(═O)O—, —O—C(═O)—NH—, —NH—, —O— or Y at each occurrence is chosen from —S—, —OC(═O)—, —C(═O)O—, —O—C(═O)—NH—, —NH—C(═O)—O—, —OC(═O)—O—, —NHC(═O)—, —C(═O)—NH, —NHC(═O)NH—, —NHC(═O)O—, —O—C(═O)—NH—, —NH— or —O—;

when m=2 or 3, a group of formula (Ia) or (Ib):

wherein:

W is R F or a group selected from W 0 , W 1 , W 2 or W 3 :

R F is a C 4 -C 10 perfluoroalkyl or a C 1 -C 24 alkyl group,

R H is a C 1 -C 24 alkyl group,

p is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4;

q is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4;

L is a linear or branched C 1 -C 12 alkylene group, optionally interrupted by one or more —O—, —S—,

Z is C(═O)NH or NHC(═O),

R is a C 1 -C 6 alkyl group, and

e is at each occurrence independently selected from 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4.

12. A micelle or an aqueous solution comprising at least one metal chosen from the platinum group metals and gold and a surfactant as comprising:

a hydrophobic central core of valence m equal to 1, 2 or 3;

when m=1, a hydrophilic group G of the following formula, attached to the central core:

wherein:

R 7 is selected from H, C 1 -C 6 alkyl and CH 2 OR 10 ;

R 10 is H or a monosaccharide selected from glucose, galactose, mannose;

w is an integer from 1 to 30;

when m=2 or 3, the surfactant being then a dendrimer of generation n,

generation chains attached to the central core and branching around the core; and

an hydrophilic terminal group at the end of each generation chain;

wherein

n is an integer from 0 to 12;

the hydrophilic terminal group comprises:

a mono-, oligo- or polysaccharide residue,

a cyclodextrin residue,

a polyethylene glycol (PEG) residue,

a peptide residue,

a tris(hydroxymethyl)aminoethane (Tris), or

a 2-amino-2-methylpropane-1,3-diol;

the central core being:

when m=1, a -L′-W′ group,

wherein:

W′ is R F or a group selected from W′ 1 , W′ 2 or W′ 3 :

R F is a C 4 -C 10 perfluoroalkyl or a C 1 -C 24 alkyl group,

R H is a C 1 -C 24 alkyl group,

p is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4;

q is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4;

L′ is a linear or branched C 1 -C 12 alkylene group, optionally interrupted by one or more groups Y′;

Y′ at each occurrence is chosen from —OC(═O)—, —C(═O)O—, —O—C(═O)—NH—, —NH—C(═O)—O—, —OC(═O)—O—, —NHC(═O)—, —C(═O)—NH, —NHC(═O)NH—, —NHC(═O)O—, —O—C(═O)—NH—, —NH—, —O— or Y at each occurrence is chosen from —S—, —OC(═O)—, —C(═O)O—, —O—C(═O)—NH—, —NH—C(═O)—O—, —OC(═O)—O—, —NHC(═O)—, —C(═O)—NH, —NHC(═O)NH—, —NHC(═O)O—, —O—C(═O)—NH—, —NH— or —O—;

when m=2 or 3, a group of formula (Ia) or (Ib):

wherein:

W is R F or a group selected from W 0 , W 1 , W 2 or W 3 :

R F is a C 4 -C 10 perfluoroalkyl or a C 1 -C 24 alkyl group,

R H is a C 1 -C 24 alkyl group,

p is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4;

q is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4;

L is a linear or branched C 1 -C 12 alkylene group, optionally interrupted by one or more —O—, —S—,

Z is C(═O)NH or NHC(═O),

R is a C 1 -C 6 alkyl group, and

e is at each occurrence independently selected from 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4.

13. A platinum group metal or gold-catalyzed reaction process under micellar conditions comprising the micelle or aqueous solution according to claim 12 .