SUPERCRITICAL-FLUID EXTRACTION AND CHROMATOGRAPHY OF METAL-CHELATES AND ORGANOMETALLIC COMPOUNDS

Metal ions in solid and liquid materials can be extracted by supercritical CO2 containing a suitable ligand. Fluorine substituted ligands are particularly effective because of the high solubilities of fluorinated metal chelates in CO2. Organometallic compounds can be extracted by supercritical CO2 with or without derivatization. This in situ chelation-supercritical fluid extraction technique followed by supercritical fluid chromatography of the extracted metal chelates may have important applications for environmental trace metal analysis.