DNA Aptamers are Functional Molecular Recognition Sensors in Protic Ionic Liquids

The function and structural changes of an AMP molecular aptamer beacon and its molecular recognition capacity for its target, adenosine monophosphate (AMP), was systematically explored in solution with a protic ionic liquid, ethylammonium nitrate (EAN). It could be proven that up to 2 M of EAN in TBS buffer, the AMP molecular aptamer beacon was still capable of recognizing AMP while also maintaining its specificity. The specificity was proven by using the guanosine monophosphate (GMP) as target; GMP is structurally similar to AMP but was not recognized by the aptamer. We also found that in highly concentrated EAN solutions the overall amount of double stranded DNA formed, as well as its respective thermal stability, diminished gradually, but surprisingly the hybridization rate (k_h) of single stranded DNA was significantly accelerated in the presence of EAN. The latter may have important implications in DNA technology for the design of biosensing and DNA‐based nanodevices in nonconventional solvents, such as ionic liquids.     

离子液体在微萃取方面的应用进展

离子液体具有蒸汽压低、热稳定性好、溶解性能高、可设计性和多样性等特性,使其在萃取尤其是微萃取方面得到迅速发展和应用.而在单滴微萃取、分散液相微萃取、液-液-液微萃取和固相微萃取中,离子液体更以其较大的粘度、密度及非挥发性等特性,使得微萃取技术更容易操作,无有机溶剂污染,方法的灵敏度更高,且扩展了微萃取的应用范围.文章综述了近年来离子液体在液相微萃取和固相微萃取方面的应用进展,并对其发展趋势进行了展望.     

几种新型离子液体的合成

以乙二醛、甲醛、氨水和烷基胺为原料,在甲醇溶剂中合成1-烷基取代咪唑.该方法具有产率高、操作简便的特点.由1-烷基取代咪唑与二卤代烷烃反应合成的一系列二齿型离子液体,可作为一种相对环境友好的溶剂和用于过渡金属催化的偶联反应.所合成的全部化合物分子结构均经HRMS,IR,1H NMR,13C NMR和GC-MS予以表征.     

离子液体的分子模拟与量化计算

分子模拟方法是研究离子液体结构与性质关系非常有效的方法,可以从分子间相互作用出发研究离子液体的微观结构、热力学和动力学性质;量子化学计算则在分子、电子水平上对离子液体的结构、性能及催化机理进行理论研究。本文综述了分子模拟方法应用于离子液体体系的研究进展,重点介绍了利用分子动力学模拟和量子化学计算方法对不同离子液体进行研究,获得离子液体的结构性质、光谱性质(红外光谱、拉曼光谱)及离子液体催化反应机理等,为探讨离子液体结构-性质的关系、离子对的作用方式、催化反应活性中心、反应途径、反应活化能、振动模式和频率以及设计功能性离子液体提供理论导向。     

丙酮+环己烷+甲醇组成的最低共沸混合物热力学性质的研究

Mesoporous molecular sieves Al-MSU-S has been prepared from the precursor of zeolite Y using ionic liquids 1-hexadecane-3-methylimidazolium bromide （CMIMB） as a template in basic medium, which exhibited larger pore diameter, pore volume and surface area than that synthesized using cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide （CTAB） template.     

Preparation of Mesoporous Molecular Sieves AI-MSU-S Using Ionic Liquids as Template

Mesoporous molecular sieves A1-MSU-S has been prepared from the precursor of zeolite Y using ionic liquids1-hexadecane-3-methylimidazolium bromide(CMIMB)as a template in basic medium,which exhibited larger porediameter,pore volume and surface area than that synthesized using cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide(CTAB)template.     

Solvation Structure of Uracil in Ionic Liquids

The local solvation environment of uracil dissolved in the ionic liquid 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium acetate has been studied using neutron diffraction techniques. At solvent:solute (ionic liquid:uracil) ratios of 3:1 and 2:1, little perturbation of the ion–ion correlations compared to those of the neat ionic liquid are observed. We find that solvation of the uracil is driven predominantly by the acetate anion of the solvent. While short distance correlations exist between uracil and the imidazolium cation, the geometry of these contacts suggest that they cannot be considered as hydrogen bonds, in contrast to other studies by Araújo et al. (J. M. Araújo, A. B. Pereiro, J. N. Canongia‐Lopes, L. P. Rebelo, I. M. Marrucho, J. Phys. Chem. B 2013, 117, 4109–4120 ). Nevertheless, this combination of interactions of the solute with both the cation and anion components of the solvents helps explain the high solubility of the nucleobase in this media. In addition, favourable uracil–uracil contacts are observed, of similar magnitude to those between cation and uracil, and are also likely to aid dissolution.     

Theoretical-Computational Modeling of Gas-State Thermodynamics in Flexible Molecular Systems: Ionic Liquids in the Gas Phase as a Case Study

A theoretical-computational procedure based on the quasi-Gaussian entropy (QGE) theory and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations is proposed for the calculation of thermodynamic properties for molecular and supra-molecular species in the gas phase. The peculiarity of the methodology reported in this study is its ability to construct an analytical model of all the most relevant thermodynamic properties, even within a wide temperature range, based on a practically automatic sampling of the entire conformational repertoire of highly flexible systems, thereby bypassing the need for an explicit search for all possible conformers/rotamers deemed relevant. In this respect, the reliability of the presented method mainly depends on the quality of the force field used in the MD simulations and on the ability to discriminate in a physically coherent way between semi-classical and quantum degrees of freedom. The method was tested on six model systems (n-butane, n-butane, n-octanol, octadecane, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ionic pairs), which, being experimentally characterized and already addressed by other theoretical-computational methods, were considered as particularly suitable to allow us to evaluate the method’s accuracy and efficiency, bringing out advantages and possible drawbacks. The results demonstrate that such a physically coherent yet relatively simple method can represent a further valid computational tool that is alternative and complementary to other extremely efficient computational methods, as it is particularly suited for addressing the thermodynamics of gaseous systems with a high conformational complexity over a large range of temperature.     

分子模拟研究气体在室温离子液体中的溶解度

在作者先前建立的分子力场基础上, 采用Widom粒子插入法预测了CO₂、N₂、O₂、Ar及CH₄等5种气体在多种咪唑类离子液体中的溶解度, 包括2种侧链长度的阳离子和3种阴离子. 首先考察了256个离子对组成的体系中溶质分子插入次数对计算结果的影响, 在此基础上计算了不同温度下气体在1-丁基-3-甲基咪唑的四氟化硼盐([bmim][BF₄])和六氟化磷盐([bmim][PF₆])中的溶解度. 计算结果正确反映了CO₂气体溶解度的变化趋势, 在[bmim][BF₄]中溶解度的模拟结果与实验值符合很好, 且明显优于Pádua等的模拟结果；在[bmim][PF₆]中的溶解度较实验值偏高, 精度与文献模拟结果相当；并预测了较高温度下CO₂气体在[bmim][BF₄]和[bmim][PF₆]中的溶解度. 计算结果也正确地反映了5种气体在[bmim][PF₆]中溶解度实验值的相对大小. 另外考察了常温下几种气体在不同室温离子液体中的溶解度, 模拟结果表明气体在含有较长碳链和双-三氟甲基磺酰胺阴离子(Tf₂N^－)的离子液体中溶解度较大.     

离子液体中氧化锰八面体分子筛催化醇的氧化

按文献方法制备了3种八面体MnO6分子筛催化剂K-OMS-2、H-K-OMS-2和Cu-OMS-2,用SEM和XRD测试技术表征了它们的结构和组成。 考察了这3种催化剂对用氧气选择性氧化醇为相应的醛或酮的催化作用,研究了采用不同OMS-2在离子液体[bmim]PF₆中反应时间和反应温度对催化反应的影响。 其中H-K-OMS-2对苄醇和烯丙醇氧化的转化率和选择性均超过90%。 催化剂和离子液体可分别用萃取法和减压蒸馏法从反应体系中回收,其中减压蒸馏法回收循环使用效果较好。     

Ionic Association of the Ionic Liquids [C4mim][BF4], [C4mim][PF6], and [Cnmim]Br in Molecular Solvents

Considering the ionic nature of ionic liquids (ILs), ionic association is expected to be essential in solutions of ILs and to have an important influence on their applications. Although numerous studies have been reported for the ionic association behavior of ILs in solution, quantitative results are quite scarce. Herein, the conductivities of the ILs [C_nmim]Br (n=4, 6, 8, 10, 12), [C₄mim][BF₄], and [C₄mim][PF₆] in various molecular solvents (water, methanol, 1‐propanol, 1‐pentanol, acetonitrile, and acetone) are determined at 298.15 K as a function of IL concentration. The conductance data are analyzed by the Lee–Wheaton conductivity equation in terms of the ionic association constant (K_A) and the limiting molar conductance (Λ_m⁰). Combined with the values for the Br^? anion reported in the literature, the limiting molar conductivities and the transference numbers of the cations and [BF₄]^? and [PF₆]^? anions are calculated in the molecular solvents. It is shown that the alkyl chain length of the cations and type of anion affect the ionic association constants and limiting molar conductivities of the ILs. For a given anion (Br^?), the Λ_m⁰ values decrease with increasing alkyl chain length of the cations in all the molecular solvents, whereas the K_A values of the ILs decrease in organic solvents but increase in water as the alkyl chain length of the cations increases. For the [C₄mim]⁺ cation, the limiting molar conductivities of the ILs decrease in the order Br^?>[BF₄]^?>[PF₆]^?, and their ionic association constants follow the order [BF₄]^?>[PF₆]^?>Br^? in water, acetone, and acetonitrile. Furthermore, and similar to the classical electrolytes, a linear relationship is observed between ln K_A of the ILs and the reciprocal of the dielectric constants of the molecular solvents. The ILs are solvated to a different extent by the molecular solvents, and ionic association is affected significantly by ionic solvation. This information is expected to be useful for the modulation of the IL conductance by the alkyl chain length of the cations, type of anion, and physical properties of the molecular solvents.     

Broadband NMR Relaxometry as a Powerful Technique to Study Molecular Dynamics of Ionic Liquids

Fast field cycling nuclear magnetic resonance (FFC NMR) relaxometry technique has been demonstrated to be a useful analytical tool to investigate molecular dynamics in very diverse systems during the last decades. Of particular importance has been its application in studying ionic liquids, upon which this review article is based. Some of the research carried out on ionic liquids during the last ten years using this technique is highlighted in this article with the aim of promoting the favorable features of FFC NMR applied toward understanding dynamics of complex systems.     

Kamlet–Taft Solvation Parameters of Solvate Ionic Liquids

The Kamlet–Taft solvent parameters of solvate ionic liquids (SILs) prepared from lithium salts with glyme and glycol ligands are determined. The dipolarity/polarisibilities (π*) are high, similar to those found in conventional ionic liquids. The H‐bond basicities (β) depend strongly on the anion. The H‐bond acidities (α) are high in both glyme and glycol SILs, indicating that the lithium is acting as a H‐bond donor site. “Poor” SILs have glyme‐rich and salt‐rich regions. In these liquids the π* and β values are almost identical to the parent glyme or glycol, and the α values are determined by the salt alone.     

Effects of Cationic Structure on Cellulose Dissolution in Ionic Liquids: A Molecular Dynamics Study

In recent years, great progress has been made in the dissolution of cellulose with ionic liquids (ILs). However, the mechanism of cellulose dissolution, especially the role the IL cation played in the dissolution process, has not been clearly understood. Herein, the mixtures of cellulose with a series of imidazolium‐based chloride ionic liquids and 1‐butyl‐3‐methyl pyridinium chloride ([C₄mpy]Cl) were simulated to study the effect that varying the heterocyclic structure and alkyl chain length of the IL cation has on the dissolution of cellulose. It was shown that the dissolution of cellulose in [C₄mpy]Cl is better than that in [C₄mim]Cl. For imidazolium‐based ILs, the shorter the alkyl chain is, the higher the solubility will be. In addition, an all‐atom force field for 1‐allyl‐3‐methyl imidazolium cation ([Amim]⁺) was developed, for the first time, to investigate the effect the electron‐withdrawing group within the alkyl chain of the IL cation has on the dissolution of cellulose. It was found that the interaction energy between [Amim]⁺ and cellulose was greater than that between [C₃mim]⁺ and cellulose, indicating that the presence of electron‐withdrawing group in alkyl chain of the cation enhanced the interaction between the cation and cellulose due to the increase of electronegativity of the cations. These findings are used to assess the cationic effect on the dissolution of cellulose in ILs. They are also expected to be important for rational design of novel ILs for efficient dissolution of cellulose.     

Aggregation Behavior of Trisiloxane-Tailed Surface Active Ionic Liquids in Aqueous Solution: Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics Study

The aggregation behaviors of two trisiloxane-tailed surface active ionic liquids in water have been investigated by coarse-grained (CG) molecular dynamics simulation on the basis of MARTINI force field. The new CG model is developed from the optimized molecule computed by using density functional theory. Direct comparison of angles and bonds obtained from all-atom (AA) simulations with those calculated from the CG model has been conducted to validate the latter model. Excellent agreement between AA and CG demonstrates that the potential of the new CG model can represent the complex system well. The long time CG simulation has been performed to understand the formation process of micelles when dissolving ionic liquids in water. Vesicles were observed at the final stage of the simulation and their partially truncated views and density profiles were obtained to describe the structure in detail.     

Measurement and Correlation of the Ionic Conductivity of Ionic Liauid-Molecular Solvent Solutions

The ionic conductivity of the solutions formed from 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate （[Bmim][BF4]） or 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate （[Bmim][PF6]） and different molecular solvents （MSs） were measured at 298.15 K. The molar conductivity of the ionic liquids （ILs） increased dramatically with increasing concentration of the MSs. It was found that the molar conductivity of the IL in the solutions studied in this work could be well correlated by the molar conductivity of the neat ILs and the dielectric constant and molar volume of the MSs.     

n-Butane,iso-Butane and 1-Butene Adsorption on Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids Studied with Molecular Beam Techniques

The interaction of molecules, especially hydrocarbons, at the gas/ionic liquid (IL) surface plays a crucial role in supported IL catalysis. The dynamics of this process is investigated by measuring the trapping probabilities of n-butane, iso-butane and 1-butene on a set of frozen 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium-based ILs [C_nC₁Im]X, where n=4, 8 and X⁻=Cl⁻, Br⁻, [PF₆]⁻ and [Tf₂N]⁻. The decrease of the initial trapping probability with increasing surface temperature is used to determine the desorption energy of the hydrocarbons at the IL surfaces. It increases with increasing alkyl chain length n and decreasing anion size for the ILs studied. We attribute these effects to different degrees of alkyl chain surface enrichment, while interactions between the adsorbate and the anion do not play a significant role. The adsorption energy also depends on the adsorbing molecule: It decreases in the order n-butane>1-butene>iso-butane, which can be explained by different dispersion interactions.     

Solvation of uranyl(II), europium(III) and europium(II) cations in "basic" room-temperature ionic liquids: a theoretical study

We report a molecular dynamics study of the solvation of UO2(2+), Eu3+ and Eu2+ ions in two "basic" (Lewis acidity) room-temperature ionic liquids (IL) composed of the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium cation (EMI+) and a mixture of AlCl4- and Cl- anions, in which the Cl-/AlCl4- ratio is about 1 and 3, respectively. The study reveals the importance of the [UO2Cl4]2- species, which spontaneously form during most simulations, and that the first solvation shell of europium is filled with Cl- and AlCl4- ions embedded in a cationic EMI+ shell. The stability of the [UO2Cl4]2- and [Eu(III)Cl6]3- complexes is supported by quantum mechanical calculations, according to which the uranyl and europium cations intrinsically prefer Cl- to the AlCl4- ion. In the gas phase, however, [Eu(III)Cl6]3- and [Eu(II)Cl6]4- complexes are predicted to be metastable and to lose two to three Cl- ions. This contrasts with the results of simulations of complexes in ILs, in which the "solvation" of the europium complexes increases with the number of coordinated chlorides, leading to an equilibrium between different chloro species. The behavior of the hydrated [Eu(OH2)8]3+ complex is considered in the basic liquids; the complex exchanges H2O molecules with Cl- ions to form mixed [EuCl3(OH2)4] and [EuCl4(OH2)3]- complexes. The results of the simulations allow us to better understand the microscopic nature and solvation of lanthanide and actinide complexes in "basic" ionic liquids.     

Xenon Diffusion in Ionic Liquids with Blurred Nanodomain Separation

The dynamics of xenon gas, loaded in a series of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium based ionic liquids, probes the formation of increasingly blurred polar/apolar nanodomains as a function of the anion type and the cation chain length. Exploiting ¹²⁹Xe NMR spectroscopy techniques, like Pulse Gradient Spin Echo (PGSE) and inversion recovery (IR), the diffusion motion and relaxation times are determined for 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide [C_nC₁im][TFSI]. A correlation between the ILs nano-structure and both xenon diffusivity and relaxation times, as well as chemical shifts, is outlined. Interestingly, comparison with previous results of the same properties in the homologous imidazolium chlorides and hexafluorophospate shows an opposite trend with the alkyl chain length. Classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to calculate the xenon and cation and anion diffusion coefficients in the same systems, including imidazolium cations with longer chains (n=4, 6, 8 … 20). An almost quantitative agreement with the experiments validates the MD simulations and, at the same time, provides the necessary structural and dynamic microscopic insights on the nano-segregation and diffusion of xenon in bistriflimide, chloride and hexafluorphosphate salts allowing to observe and rationalize the shaping effect of the cation in the nanostructure.