Abstract A study was carried out on the extraction of strontium (II) and lead (II) picrates by chloroform solutions of crown and dithiacrown ethers. The benzene ring substituents in benzodithia-18-crown-6 only slightly affect the extraction of strontium and lead cations and their separation. The introduction of an adamantyl group onto the benzene ring markedly increases the extraction of lead and the separation selectivity of these cations. The use of ...