The effect of tin(II) chloride on the liquid-liquid extraction of tetrachloroplatinate(II) ions by triphenylphosphine in dichloromethane

The effect of tin(II) chloride on the extraction of tetrachloroplatinate(II) in 1.0–1.5 M HCl into dichloromethane with triphenylphosphine (TPP) is described. Tin(II) chloride dramatically increases the rate and efficiency of platinum extraction. The percentage of platinum extracted depends in a complicated way on the time allowed for extraction, the Pt:Sn(II) ratio, the Pt:TPP ratio, and to a lesser extent to the hydrochloric acid concentration. Tin is initially extracted into the organic phase, probably as [Pt(SnCl₃)Cl(PPh₃)₂], but is subsequently back-extracted into the aqueous phase, as a result of the relatively slow disproportionation reaction: [Pt(SnCl₃)Cl(PPh₃)₂]_org + cl^? ? [Pt(PPh₃)₂Cl₂]_org + SnCl^?₃.