Effect of polyoxyethylene n-alkyl ethers on carrier-mediated transport of lanthanide ions through cellulose triacetate membranes

Fluxes of 14 kinds of lanthanides across cellulose triacetate membranes were determined by using mixtures of o-nitrophenyl n-octyl ether and a series of polyoxythylene n-alkyl ethers (POE ethers) as plasticizers, and hinokitiol as carrier. Effects of alkyl and polyoxyethylene (POE) chains of POE ether on the flux were demonstrated. The transport of the lanthanides was coupled to a flow of hydrogen ions. The POE ethers used [CnH2n+1(OCH2CH2)xOH, referred to as CnEx] were C10E3, C12E3, C14E3, C16E3, C12E2, C12E4, C12E6 and C12E8, In all cases, high fluxes were observed for the lanthanides from samarium to lutetium. On the contrary, the fluxes for lanthanum to neodymium were extremely low. In experiments testing the effect of the alkyl chain, the order of the POE ethers in the lanthanide flux for samarium to lutetium was C12E3 > C10E3 > C14E3 >C16E3. In experiments testing the effect of the POE chain, the flux decreased with an increase in the chain length