Competitive bulk liquid membrane transport of some metal ions using RC(S)NHP(S)(OiPr)(2) as ionophores. Unusual supramolecular "honeycomb" aggregate of the polynuclear copper(I) complex of H(2)NC(S)NHP(S)(OiPr)(2)

Competitive transport experiments involving metal ions from an aqueous source phase through a chloroform membrane into an aqueous receiving phase have been carried out using a series of N-(thio)phosphorylated (thio)amide and thiourea ligands as ionophores in the organic phase. The source phase contained equimolar concentrations of Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Ag(I), Cd(II) and Pb(II) with the source and receiving phases being buffered at different pH. Good transport properties were observed for Ag(I) in the case of (13). The best extraction properties have been shown by (3)L(1), (3)L(8), (2)L(7), (3)L(9) and (3)L(11) which contain an unsubstituted nitrogen atom at the C[double bond, length as m-dash]S groups ((3)L(1) and (3)L(9)), or a third nitrogen atom, capable of participating in additional coordination ((3)L(8), (2)L(7) and (3)L(11)). Reaction of Cu(NO(3))(2).6H(2)O with the potassium salt of the N-thiophosphorylated thiourea NH(2)C(S)NHP(S)(OiPr)(2) formed a new supramolecular Cu(I) complex, [{Cu(6)((2)L(1))(6)}{Cu(3)((2)L(1))(3)}.4Me(2)CO] that contains both trinuclear and hexanuclear forms in its solid state structure, and in solution.