Practical Applications of Supramolecular Extraction with Macrocycles

Supramolecular extraction refers to an application of supramolecular chemistry, in particular host-guest chemistry, toward extraction. It has led to new approaches, inter alia, in so-called solvent extraction that is of great importance for separation science and technology. The past two decades or so have witnessed a rapid and spectacular development of this field and seen the implementation of many applications in the real world. This mini review article briefly overviews recent advances of tailored macrocyclic supramolecular extractants and focuses on their practical applications in hydrometallurgy, waste reprocessing and treatment, environmental monitoring and cleanup, corrosion inhibition, as well as protein separation and purification.