1-Butyl-2,3-trimethyleneimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([b-3C-im][NTf2]): a new, stable ionic liquid

Using imidazole as the starting material, the synthesis of a new bicyclic ionic liquid [b-3C-im][NTf₂] is described. Except for the alkylation reaction in the second step (40% yield) of this four-step synthesis of [b-3C-im][NTf₂], others were all high yielding reactions (85-94% isolated yields). We investigated intrinsic reactivity of this and other imidazolium-based ionic liquids and found that, under strongly basic conditions (KOD in CD₃OD/D₂O (1:1) solution), the new ionic liquid was stable to solvent deuterium isotope exchange while the previously reported [bdmim][NTf₂] and [bdmim][PF₆] ionic liquids were 50% deuterium exchanged at its C-2 methyl in 30 min at ambient temperature. At the same experimental condition, the most commonly employed [bmim][PF₆] ionic liquid was deuterium exchanged instantaneously at its C-2 hydrogen. In the absence of bases (CD₃OD/D₂O = 1:1), only [bmim][PF₆] was deuterium exchanged (50% within 1 h) and other ionic liquids gave no detectable exchanges even after one week at ambient temperature. It is therefore concluded that the new [b-3C-im][NTf₂] ionic liquid is far more chemically stable than previously reported [bmim][PF₆], [bdmim][NTf₂], and [bdmim][PF₆].