Effect of the nitrile group in extraction and bulk liquid membrane transport of amino acids

Extraction and transport of amino acids through a liquid membrane system is an emerging field of supramolecular as well as biomedical science. In this piece of work, series of podands are used with triethylene and tetraethylene glycol chains having benzonitrile (PBT3, PBT4), anthraquinone (PAT3, PAT4) and naphthyl (PNT3,PNT4) end groups. Extraction and transport studies performed with amino acids: glycine, valine and threonine using these receptors. From the results, it is observed that the extraction efficiency of PBT3 and PBT4 is double than PNT3 and PNT4 podands, and also transport ability is double in PAT3, and PAT4. Thus we conclude that the nitrile group-containing podands (PBT3 and PBT4) are better extractants as well as a carrier than PAT3, PAT4, PNT3, PNT4, in which nitrile groups is a key component for molecular recognition of glycine, valine, and threonine, which are further used in the separation of amino acids.