Heavy metal ions from single and ternary systems of Pb(II), Cu(II), and Ni(II) adsorbed by calix [4]resorcinarenes in water-chloroform extraction were studied. Comparison was made of calix [4]resorcinarenes, 2,8,14, 20-tetraundecyl calix[4]resorcinarene-4,6,10,12,16,18,22,24-octol, and diethylaminomethyl-calix[4]resorcinarene, 5,11, 17,23-tetra(diethylaminomethyl)-2,8,14,20-tetraundecylcalix[4]resorcinarene-4,6,10,12,16,18,22,24-octol, for predominant extraction of their ions from the ternary mixture of aqueous solution at different pH in a water layer. The hosting of Pb(II) by the diethylaminomethyl-calix[4]resorcinarene occurred efficiently at pH 6-7. The hosting of Pb(II), Cu(II), and Ni(II) ions for the ternary aqueous mixture was applied to the Langmuir isotherm. Adsorption was studied using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in a water-deuterium chloroform extraction system. Results showed that as the heavy metal ions were included into the host cavity, the observation of shifted peaks of water molecules from downfield to higher field was visible in the nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, meaning that water molecules were included with heavy metal ion into the host cavity. The spectra also showed that the diethylamino group expressed formation of the coordination complex between the diethylaminomethylcalix[4]resorcinarene and Pb(II) for the purpose of predominant hosting of Pb(II).
