We
present a novel approach for the separation and recovery of
Pt and Pd leached from a spent automotive catalyst relying on conventional
and polymerized supported ionic liquid phases (SILPs and polySILPs,
respectively). A variety of parameters with possible effects on the
separation behavior, namely, acidity and concentration of the platinum
group metal (PGM) containing solution, as well as different SILP and
polySILP loadings, were evaluated for the separation of PGMs in the
presence of high concentrations of Al, Fe, Zn, and Ce. The polySILP
material demonstrated the ability to separate the PGMs from major
accompanying interferences in a single separation step, while problems
arising from ionic liquid leaching in the case of SILPs could be avoided.
Moreover, the use of supported ionic liquid phases allowed the drastic
reduction of the amount of required ionic liquid compared to conventional
liquid–liquid separation, while avoiding problems arising from
emulsion formation. Subsequent stripping experiments lead to further
purification of the PGMs and finally desorption from the solid material
into a pure solution. Eventually, the concept of chemisorbed polySILPs
provides a new and convenient approach for the recycling of platinum
group metals.