Abstract: A method for the removal, separation, and concentration of alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, Pb and/or Tl cations from a source solution which may contain larger concentrations of other ions comprises bringing the source solution into contact with a compound comprising an oxygen donor macrocycle-containing ligand covalently bonded through an organic spacer silicon grouping to a solid inorganic support. The ligand portion(s) of the compound has affinity for alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, Pb and/or Tl thereby removing them from the source solution. The alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, Pb and/or Tl cations are then removed from the compound through contact with a much smaller volume of a receiving solution in which these cations are either soluble or which has greater affinity for such cations than does the oxygen donor macrocyclic ligand thereby quantitatively stripping the complexed cations from the ligand and recovering them in concentrated form in said receiving solution.

Abstract: Chiral copolymers containing chiral molecular grooves or cavities and oligosiloxane spacers are disclosed. The chiral portion of the copolymer is an enantiomerically enriched organic grouping, having physical properties attributed to uniform and stereochemically possible molecular grooves or cavities, which is chemically and thermally stable to gas, liquid or supercritical s fluid chromatographic conditions and is configured such that one enantiomer of an enantiomeric mixture will be better able to preferentially enter such groove or cavity and interact more strongly than other enantiomers in said mixture.