Water solubility of regioselectively 2,3-O-substituted carboxymethylcellulose

A series of 2,3-O-carboxymethylcelluloses (CMC's), which are regioselectively substituted at the C-2 and C-3 position, were prepared and their water solubility was examined. It was found that the lower limit for the degree of substitution (DS) value of water-soluble 2,3-O-CMC is about 0.3. This value was almost the same as that of CMC prepared in a slurry of isopropyl alcohol/water with isopropyl chloroacetate and sodium hydroxide, showing that the uniform alkylation is rather important to convert cellulose into water-soluble derivatives.     

13C-NMR spectral studies on the distribution of substituents in water-soluble cellulose acetate

The degree of substitution (DS) and distribution of O-acetyl groups of water-soluble cellulose acetate (CA) were investigated by ¹³C-NMR. For this purpose, three different series of CA samples with low DS were prepared by respective homogeneous reaction, i.e., (1) deacetylation of cellulose triacetate (CTA) in acetic acid—water solution (D-series), (2) reaction of CTA with hydrazine (H-series), and (3) acetylation of cellulose with acetic anhydride in a 10% LiCl-dimethylacetamide solution (A-series). It was found that (i) water-soluble CA can be obtained only from D-series products, (ii) the DS value of water-soluble CA ranges from 0.5 to 1.1, (iii) the D-series products exhibit little difference between the relative DS values at C-2, C-3 and C-6 hydroxyl groups, and (iv) the relative DS at C-6 hydroxyl groups is very high compared to those at C-2 and C-3 hydroxyl groups in H- and A-series products. Aqueous solution of water-soluble CA (D-series sample) showed no gel—sol transition, even when the temperature was raised to 95°C. X-ray diffraction observations revealed that the water-soluble D-series samples were essentially noncrystalline, but the water-insoluble A-series samples were crystalline. It was also found that the relative ease of acetylation is C-6 > C-2 > C-3.     

13C-NMR spectral studies on the distribution of substituents in some cellulose derivatives

¹³C-NMR spectra of trityl cellulose (Tr-Cell), tosyl cellulose (Ts-Cell), cellulose S-methyl xanthate (Cell-M-Xan), and cellulose formate (CF) in dimethylsulfoxide-d₆ were analyzed at 50.4 MHz. It was found that the distribution of substituents in the anhydroglucose units of these cellulose derivatives can be estimated from their ring carbon spectra. The results showed that (i) in Tr-Cell having degree of substitution (DS) lower than 1, the hydroxyl groups at C-6 carbon position are selectively tritylated, (ii) in the case of Ts-Cell, the difference in the relative DS value among three different types of hydroxyl groups is not large, although the relative reactivities of hydroxyl groups toward tosylation decrease in the order C-6 > C-2 > C-3, (iii) in Cell-M-Xan, the hydroxyl groups at C-3 carbon position are mainly substituted, and (iv) the ease of formylation is C-6 > C-2 > C-3. The 100.8 MHz ¹³C-NMR spectra of O-methyl cellulose (MC) revealed that the reactivity order in commercial MC prepared from alkali cellulose is C-6 ? C-2 > C-3. Concerning MC, its water solubility was also discussed in terms of the distribution of substituents along the cellulose chain.     

Cellulosic polyelectrolytes: synthetic pathways to regioselectively substituted ammonium and phosphonium derivatives

Cationic polysaccharide polyelectrolytes are important synthetic targets for drug and gene delivery, especially by encapsulation of nucleic acids and proteins through electrostatic interactions. They also have potential as paracellular permeability enhancers that may increase transport across the gastrointestinal (GI) epithelium, especially for therapeutic hydrophilic macromolecules. Semisynthetic chitosan has been more heavily investigated as a cationic polysaccharide polyelectrolyte. This study explores the synthetic conditions needed to produce ammonio and phosphonio cellulose derivatives regioselectively by halogen displacement at C-6 while maximizing the degree of substitution (DS) of cationic substituent. Regioselective substitution was successful, however there were found to be some limitations to the DS and solubility of ammonium derivatives prepared in this way (highest DS 0.43); conversely, water-soluble 6-phosphonio-6-deoxycellulose derivatives were produced with DS > 0.5, with highest DS of 0.73. The repulsion between accumulating positive charges was confirmed as a likely source of DS limitation since high DS (0.9) of 6-triethylamino cellulose was synthesized under comparable conditions. Further reaction of 6-ammonio-co-6-bromo derivatives with a thiol produced 6-ammonio-co-6-thiolated products with improved aqueous solubility. The thiol DS of 0.68 determined by elemental analysis confirmed substitution of residual bromide from low DS (0.30) ammonium products to give essentially complete substitution at C-6.     

Structure and solution properties of cyanoethyl celluloses synthesized in LiOH/urea aqueous solution

Cyanoethyl celluloses (CECs) with different degree of substitution (DS) were synthesized by homogeneous reaction of cellulose (cotton linter pulp and absorbent cotton) with acrylonitrile (AN) in LiOH/urea aqueous solutions. The reaction showed quick reactivity and high transfer efficiency of etherification agent. The DS values of CECs were controlled by varying the molar ratio of AN to anhydroglucose unit (AGU) and the cellulose concentration. The DS values of the CEC-1–CEC-10 increased from 0.27 to 1.78 with increasing molar ratio of AN to AGU from 0.5:1 to 9:1. While the CEC-11–CEC-21 with DS values of 0.26–1.81 could be obtained by adjusting the molar ratio from 1:1 to 27:1. The relative reactivity of hydroxyl groups is in the order of C-6 > C-2 > C-3. The DS values of the water-soluble derivatives are in the range of 0.47–1.01. As the DS values increase to 1.37, CEC samples can not be dissolved in water or dilute alkali solution, but have good solubility in organic solvents, such as DMSO, DMF and pyridine. The dilute solution properties and molecular parameters of the CEC samples were studied by static light scattering and dynamic light scattering. The results indicated that the water-soluble samples could form a small number of aggregates spontaneously in 0.9 wt% NaCl aqueous solution, while the water-insoluble samples showed extended stiff chains in 0.5% LiCl–DMAc.     

Cationic Xylan Derivatives with High Degree of Functionalization

Xylan from birch wood was characterized regarding both the supramolecular structure (X-ray, CP/MAS ¹³C-NMR) and the sugar composition. The reaction of the birch wood xylan with 2,3-epoxypropyltrimethylammonium chloride in 1,2-dimethoxyethane as slurry medium yields water-soluble, cationic 2-hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium xylan derivatives with high degree of substitution (DS). The DS values up to 1.6 can be controlled by adjusting the molar ratio in a one step synthesis. The structure of the cationic xylan derivatives was confirmed by means of DEPT(135) NMR spectroscopy. Film forming properties of cationic xylan derivatives were investigated with SEM measurements.     

Regioselectively Modified Cellulose and Chitosan Derivatives for Mono- and Multilayer Surface Coatings of Hemocompatible Biomaterials

In this study different synthetic strategies were developed and applied to introduce solely or in combination heparin/heparansulfate-like functional groups such as N-sulfo, O-sulfo, N-acetyl, and N-carboxymethyl groups into chitosan and cellulose with highest possible regioselectivity and completeness and defined distribution along the polymer chain. Completely substituted 6-amino-6-deoxycellulose and related derivatives were prepared from tosylcellulose (DS 2.02; C₆ 1.0) by nucleophilic substitution with azido groups only in the 6-position at 50 °C with subsequent reduction to amino groups and completely removing tosyl groups in the 2,3-position. 2,6-Di-O-sulfocellulose was prepared using the reactivity difference between C-2, C-6 and C-3 of cellulose. The reactivity difference between amino groups and hydroxyl groups was used to prepare various N-substituted derivatives. Partially 2,6-di-O-sulfated cellulose was obtained from trimethylsilylcellulose by the insertion of sulfurtrioxide into the Si–O ether linkage. Partially 3-O-sulfocellulose was synthesized by protecting C-2 and C-6 with trifluoroacetyl groups. A copper–chitosan complex was used to synthesize 6-O-sulfochitosan with a DS of 1.0 at C-6 and various partially 6-O-desulfonated products are possible. Using the phthalimido group to increase the solubility of chitosan in DMF, the regioselectivity of 3-O-sulfo groups was improved by regioselective 6-O-desulfonation of nearly complete 3,6-O-disulfochitosan. The platelet adhesion properties of immobilized regioselectively modified water-soluble derivatives on membranes have been tested in vitro. Some regioselectively modified chitosan and cellulose derivatives are potential candidates for the surface coatings of biomaterials if the regioselective reactions are somewhat further optimized.     

Synthesis of water-soluble polymeric prodrugs possessing 4-methylcatechol derivatives by mechanochemical solid-state copolymerization and nature of drug release

In this study we synthesized the water-soluble polymeric prodrugs possessing a 4-methylcatechol (4MC) derivative as a side chain by mechanochemical solid-state copolymerization. 1-benzoyl-4-methylcatechol (Bz4MC) was selected as a model compound of 4MC, and its methacryloyl derivative (1) was synthesized. 6-O-methacryloyl-D-galactose (2) was also prepared as a water-soluble monomer. The mechanochemical solid-state copolymerization of 1 and 2 was carried out to obtain the water-soluble polymeric prodrug possessing the Bz4MC as a side chain. The mechanochemical copolymerization of 1 and 2 proceeded to completion, and the polymeric prodrug produced possessed a narrow molecular weight distribution. Three kinds of polymeric prodrugs, whose compositions were different from one another, were hydrolyzed in vitro. The hydrolysis of these polymeric prodrugs proceeded to completion. The rate constants of hydrolysis decreased with increasing the mole fraction of 1 in polymeric prodrug. It was suggested that the rate constant of hydrolysis could be controlled by the composition, the mole fraction of 1 in the polymeric prodrug.     

Homogeneous methylation of wood pulp cellulose dissolved in LiOH/urea/H2O

Spruce sulphite cellulose (number average degree of polymerization 620) dissolved in an aqueous solution of 8% (w/w) LiOH*H₂O and 12% (w/w) urea was methylated with dimethyl sulphate (DMS). By varying the reaction temperature between 22 and 50 °C, the molar ratio between 9 and 15 mol DMS per mol anhydroglucose unit, and the reaction time from 4 to 24 h, methyl cellulose (MC) with degree of substitution (DS) values in the range of 1.07 and 1.59 was prepared. The chemical structure of MC was analysed by FTIR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The turbidity (given in nephelometric turbidity units, NTU) of the aqueous solution of MC reached an optimum of 10 NTU for a product obtained with 12 mol DMS/mol AGU at 50 °C. GPC measurements revealed polymer degradation to a certain extent. The intrinsic viscosity and the Huggins constant k of the MC samples increased with increasing DS value. The MC samples possess k values higher than 0.8, indicating association of the polymer chain. The zero-shear viscosity decreased with increase of both temperature and the amount of methylation agent due to the depolymerization. During the heating/cooling cycle (20-90 °C) of the aqueous solutions of MC, it was observed that samples synthesized at 22 °C with DS values lower than 1.3 did not undergo phase separation in aqueous solution. Phase separation hysteresis with a precipitation temperature up to 80 °C was obtained for aqueous solutions of MC with DS values between 1.07 and 1.66 synthesized at higher temperatures. The functionalization pattern determined by GLC of the corresponding partially methylated glucitol acetates is close to randomness and comparable with those of commercial MC samples.     

Simple Methods for Determining Relative Stereochemistry of Kainoid Amino Acids by (1)H NMR Chemical Shifts

The kainoid amino acids are biologically important compounds because they show remarkable neuroexcitatory and excitotoxic activities. For exhibiting potent activity, the stereochemical relationship of the substituents on the pyrrolidine ring is crucial. We found simple methods for determining the relative stereochemistry of these compounds on the basis of the (1)H NMR chemical shifts of H-2 and H-4 in D(2)O solution. The signals of H-2 appear at fields higher than 4.2 ppm when the compounds have 2,3-trans stereochemistry whereas, in the 2,3-cis compounds, they appear lower than 4.2 ppm, irrespective of the C-4 substituent. This criterion holds when the solution is in the range of pD 3-8. Moreover, when an epimeric pair at C-2 is available and the spectra are recorded at the same or nearly equal pD, the H-2 chemical shift of the 2,3-trans isomer is higher than that of the corresponding 2,3-cis isomer. Similarly, the relative stereochemistry between C-3 and C-4 can be determined from the chemical shift of H-4. The signals of H-4 of the 3,4-cis isomers appear at lower fields than those of the corresponding 3,4-trans isomers in each pair of C-4 epimers when the spectra are recorded at the same or nearly equal pD. This holds for the compounds bearing an unsaturated substituent at C-4. All these phenomena can be rationalized by the anisotropic effect of the pi-electron system in the C-2 and C-4 substituents.     

Thermoresponsive hydrogel of diblock methylcellulose: formation of ribbonlike supramolecular nanostructures by self-assembly

This article provides detailed insight into the thermoresponsive gelation mechanism of industrially produced methylcellulose (MC), highlighting the importance of diblock structure with a hydrophobic sequence of 2,3,6-tri-O-methyl-glucopyranosyl units for this physicochemical property. We show herein, for the first time, that well-defined diblock MC self-assembles thermoresponsively into ribbonlike nanostructures in water. A cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) technique was used to detect the ribbonlike nanostructures formed by the diblock copolymers consisting of hydrophilic glucosyl or cellobiosyl and hydrophobic 2,3,6-tri-O-methyl-cellulosyl blocks, methyl β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-2,3,6-tri-O-methyl-celluloside 1 (G-236MC, DP(n) = 10.7, DS = 2.65), and methyl β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-2,3,6-tri-O-methyl-celluloside 2 (GG-236MC, DP(n) = 28.2, DS = 2.75). Rheological measurements revealed that the gel strength of a dispersion of GG-236MC (2, 2.0 wt %) in water at 70 °C was 3.0 times stronger than that of commercial MC SM-8000, although the molecular weight of GG-236MC (2) having M(w) = 8 × 10(3) g/mol was 50 times smaller than that of SM-8000 having M(w) = 4 × 10(5) g/mol. Cryo-TEM observation suggested that the hydrogel formation of the diblock copolymers could be attributed to the entanglement of ribbonlike nanostructures self-assembled by the diblock copolymers in water. The cryo-TEM micrograph of GG-236MC (2) at 5 °C showed rectangularly shaped nanostructures having a thickness from 11 to 24 nm, although G-236MC (1) at 20 °C showed no distinct self-assembled nanostructures. The ribbonlike nanostructures of GG-236MC (2) having a length ranging from 91 to 864 nm and a thickness from 8.5 to 27.1 nm were detected above 20 °C. Small-angle X-ray scattering measurements suggested that the ribbonlike nanostructures of GG-236MC (2) consisted of a bilayer structure with a width of ca. 40 nm. It was likely that GG-236MC (2) molecules were oriented perpendicularly to the long axis of the ribbonlike nanostructure. In addition, wide-angle X-ray scattering measurements revealed that GG-236MC (2) in its hydrogel formed the same crystalline regions as 2,3,6-tri-O-methylcellulose. The influence of the DP of diblock MC with a DS of around 2.7 on the gelation behavior will be discussed.     

The relationship between intramolecular hydrogen bonds and certain physical properties of regioselectively substituted cellulose derivatives

This article tries to provide some direct evidence about the relationship between the intramolecular hydrogen bonds in cellulose and their corresponding effect on physical properties. The formation of intramolecular hydrogen bonds has been proved to contribute directly to certain physical properties of cellulose, such as its solubility in solvents having different polarities, the relative reactivities of the hydroxyls in a repeating unit and its crystallinity, using a 6-O-methylcellulose (6MC) film that was known¹ to have intramolecular hydrogen bonds. The excellent solubility of 6MC when compared with other cellulose derivatives indicated a lack of interchain hydrogen bonds. A comparison of the relative reactivities between the C-2 and C-3 position hydroxyls in 6MC also indicates that intramolecular hydrogen bonds once formed in 6MC films are possibly maintained even after dissolution in solvents. In addition, the poor crystallinity exhibited by 6MC supports the idea that crystallization in cellulosics may be dependent more upon preferencial interchain hydrogen bonding at the C-6 position hydroxyls than upon a uniform structure such as that found in 6MC, where every structural unit is completely and regioselectively substituted, distinguishing it from other synthetic polymers such as polyolefins and polyesters. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys, 35: 717–723, 1997     

Preparation and properties of a new type of comb-shaped, amphiphilic cellulose derivative

Comb-shaped, amphiphilic O-(2- hydroxy-3-butoxypropyl) cellulose (HBPC) was prepared by a homogeneous reaction of cellulose with butyl glycidyl ether (BGE) in a 10% (w/w) LiCl--DMAc solution. It was found that: (a) the molar substitution (MS) of water-soluble HBPC ranges from 0.4 to 1.0, and is nearly equal to its degree of substitution (DS), indicating that the HBPC derivatives obtained are comb-shaped polymers; (b) the water-soluble HBPC shows a thermally reversible sol-gel transition in aqueous solution; and (c) the derivative having a DS of 0.6 shows surface activity with critical micelle concentration (cmc) in the order of 0.8 g/l and surface tension of 31.5 dyn/cm     

Homogenous synthesis of hydroxyethylcellulose in NaOH/urea aqueous solution

Hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) was synthesized by a fully homogenous method from cellulose in 7.5 wt.-% NaOH/11 wt.-% urea aqueous solutions under mild conditions. HEC samples were characterized with NMR, SEC-LLS, solubility, and viscosity measurements. The MS and DS values of the obtained HEC samples are in the range from 0.54 to 1.44 and 0.45 to 1.14, respectively, and the relative DS values at C-2 and C-6 hydroxyl groups are slightly higher than those at C-3 hydroxyl groups. HEC samples are soluble in water starting from a MS of 0.57 and DS of 0.49, which display high viscosity in aqueous solutions. Moreover, a NaOH/urea aqueous solution is a stable system for cellulose etherification. In this way, we could provide a simple, pollution-free, and homogeneous aqueous solution system for synthesizing cellulose ethers.     

甲氨喋呤-乳糖酰基壳聚糖的制备及其体外实验

制备了不同乳糖酰基取代度的N-乳糖酰基壳聚糖(LCH), 并通过红外光谱(IR)及核磁共振氢谱(1H NMR)对其进行了结构表征. 体外放射性配基竞争结合实验结果显示, 当乳糖酰基取代度为15.5%~38.9%时, LCH对肝实质细胞膜表面去唾液酸糖蛋白受体(ASGPR)具有特异亲和性, 即具有潜在的肝靶向性. 将甲氨喋呤(MTX)与壳聚糖以酰胺键偶联, 制备MTX-壳聚糖(MTX-CH), 再与乳糖酸反应生成目标产物MTX-乳糖酰基壳聚糖(MTX-LCH), 并通过紫外分光光度法(UV)检测MTX的取代度为5.6%, 乳糖酰基取代度为33.8%. 溶解性实验结果显示, MTX-LCH溶于pH=1~14的水溶液; 体外释放实验结果表明, MTX-LCH性质稳定, 能明显延缓MTX的释放.     

Sample preparation effects in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry of partially depolymerised methyl cellulose

Methyl cellulose (MC) was partially depolymerised and the oligomers thus obtained were studied by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS). The depolymerisation was either enzymatic or acidic. Fractions of enzymatically depolymerised MC were collected from size-exclusion chromatography and subjected to a sample preparation investigation. Several MALDI matrices and solvents were evaluated. The results showed that the solvent choice had a significant effect on the measured degree of substitution (DS). Aprotic solvents produced higher DS values, which was most likely due to poor solubility of species with low DS. The obtained signal intensity, however, did not correlate with the solubility but seemed to be more dependent on certain matrix/solvent combinations. All the matrices attempted produced mass spectra with sufficient signal intensity for accurate peak area calculation. The choice of matrix did not have any significant effect on the measured DS. Sample spots obtained from organic solvents had a more homogeneous distribution of the analyte and smaller crystals than those obtained from water. This increased both the reproducibility and peak resolution and in addition the analysis time was shorter. DS measurements were performed on two acidically depolymerised MCs with different nominal DS values. It was easy to distinguish between the two MCs, and the measured DS values agreed well with the values supplied by the manufacturers.     

A New Approach in the Analysis of the Substituent Distribution of Carboxymethyl Celluloses

An approach is presented for the quantitative analysis of the substituent distribution in carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). Standard substances have been isolated by preparative HPLC and characterised by ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy. The availability of these reference substances enabled a quantitative HPLC determination of glucose and its seven carboxymethyl derivatives by anion exchange chromatography and pulsed amperometric detection. A comparison of sulphuric acid and perchloric acid hydrolysis for conventional CMC samples gave higher yields for perchloric acid. The yield of the eight CMC building units decreased with increasing DS for both hydrolysis methods. Results were different, when samples from new synthesis concepts were investigated. While CMCs from induced phase separation showed increasing hydrolysis yields up to a DS of 1.9 regioselectively substituted 2,3-O-CMC gave lower yields with increasing DS. For 2,3-O-CMC samples sulphuric acid proved to be the superior hydrolysis medium.     

PREPARATION AND STRUCTURE OFFIVE DERIVATIVES OFβ-(1→3)-D-GLUCAN ISOLATED FROM PORIA COCOS SCLEROTIUM*

A new solvent of cellulose (1.5 mol/L NaOH/0.5 mol/L urea aqueous solution) was used as one of the homogeneous reaction media of polysaccharides for methylation, hydroxyethylation and hydroxypropylation. A water insoluble β-(1→3)-D-glucan, sample PCS3-Ⅱ, isolated from fresh sclerotium of Poria cocos was sulfated in dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO), carboxymethylated in NaOH, isopropanol solution, as well as methylated, hydroxyethylated and hydroxypropylated in the new solvent system, respectively, to obtain five water-soluble derivatives coded as S-PCS3-Ⅱ, C-PCS3-Ⅱ, M-PCS3-Ⅱ, HE-PCS3-Ⅱand HP-PCS3-Ⅱ. Their chemical structure and distribution of substitution were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), elementary analysis (EA), ^1H-NMR, ^13C-NMR, 2D-COSY, 2D-TOCSY and 2D-^1H-detected ^1H ^13C HMQC spectra. The results reveal that the relative reactivity of hydroxyl groups of the β(1→3)-D-glucan is in the order C-6 ＞ C-4 ＞ C-2 on the whole. The substitution of the samples S-PCS3-Ⅱ, C-PCS3-Ⅱ and M-PCS3-Ⅱ occurred mainly at C-6 position and secondly at C-4 and C-2 positions, and that of HE-PCS3-Ⅱ occurred at C-6 and C-4 positions and of HP-PCS3-Ⅱ almost completely occurred at C-6 position. The degrees of substitution (DS) obtained from ^13C-NMR range from 0.23 to 1.27. The water solubility of the derivatives is in the order S-PCS3-Ⅱ ＞ C-PCS3-Ⅱ ＞ M-PCS3-Ⅱ ＞ HE-PCS3-Ⅱ ＞ HP-PCS3-Ⅱ. This work provides a novel and nonpolluting process for the methylation, hydroxyethylation and hydroxypropylation of β-(1→3)-D-glucan.     

Spectrophotometric determination of Diclofenac sodium with Methylene Blue

A sensitive spectrophotometric method was established for the determination of Diclofenac sodium (DS) with Methylene Blue (MB) as analytical reagent. It was found that DS reacts with an excess of MB in the pH range 9.2-9.4, to form a chloroform-extractable blue ion-association complex. Good agreement with Beer's law was found in the range of DS concentrations of 0.8-6.4 mug/ml with a detection limit of 0.37 mug/ml. The method was applied for the determination of DS in various tableted forms with a good precision.     

Photo- and solvatochromic properties of nitrobenzospiropyran in ionic liquids containing the [NTf2]- anion

The photo-, thermo- and solvatochromic properties of 2,3-dihydro-1',3',3'-trimethyl-6-nitrospiro-[1-benzopyran-2,2'-1H-indole] (BSP-NO(2)) were studied in ILs containing the anion [NTf(2)](-) by UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, ab initio molecular orbital theory and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. It was found that the kinetics and thermodynamics of the BSP-NO(2) <--> MC (merocyanine) equilibrium was sensitive to the nature of the cation. It was also observed that the imidazolium cation can form a through-space orbital interaction with the MC isomer, rather than a simple electrostatic interaction, thus preventing the MC conversion back to the BSP-NO(2) isomer. The BSP-NO(2) <--> MC equilibrium thus serves as a model system for studying modes of interaction of the cations in ionic liquids.