DFT Study of the Geometrical and Electronic Structures of Geminal Dicationic Ionic Liquids 1,3‐Bis[3‐methylimidazolium‐1‐yl]hexane Halides

In this work, the geometrical and electronic properties of the mono cationic ionic liquid 1‐hexyl‐3‐methylimidazolium halides ([C₆(mim)]⁺_X^?, X=Cl, Br and I) and dicationic ionic liquid 1,3‐bis[3‐methylimidazolium‐1‐yl]hexane halides ([C₆(mim)₂X₂], X=Cl, Br and I) were studied using the density functional theory (DFT). The most stable conformer of these two types ionic liquids (IL) are determined and compared with each other. Results show that in the most stable conformers, in both monocationic ILs and dicationic ILs, the Cl^? and Br^? anions prefer to locate almost in the plane of the imidazolium ring whereas the I^? anion prefers nearly vertical location respect to the imidazolium ring plan. Comparison of hydrogen bonding and ionic interactions in these two types of ionic liquids reveals that these ionic liquids can be formed hydrogen bond by Cl^? and Br^? anion. The calculated thermodynamic functions show that the interaction of cation — anion pair in the dicationic ionic liquids are more than monocationic ionic liquids and these interactions decrease with increasing the halide anion atomic weight.     

Investigation of ion pair formation in the triphenylmethyl chloride–trimethyl aluminium system,as a model for the activation of olefin polymerization catalyst

Triphenylmethyl chloride (“trityl chloride”, Ph₃CCl) will transfer chloride ions to aluminium alkyls and methylaluminoxane and it is thereby converted into 1,1,1-triphenylethane (“trityl methyl” Ph₃CMe) and the triphenylcarbonium ion (“trityl ion”, Ph₃C⁺). IR spectra of these trityl species have been recorded. Assignments are supported by quantum chemical calculations, leading to significant revisions for some of the modes that are most influenced by reactions. A bright yellow colour shown to be due to the trityl cation, makes trityl chloride a useful indicator for ion pair formation. Trimethyl aluminium (TMA) is chlorinated by trityl chloride and forms dimethyl aluminium chloride (DMAC). DMAC will form a stable ion pair with trityl chloride, probably by forming the anion Al₂Cl₃Me₄⁻. Large excess of trityl chloride causes the formation of AlCl₄⁻, and probably AlCl₃Me⁻ and AlCl₂Me₂⁻ anions. It appears that methyl aluminium chloride anions are formed if, and only if, the anions have at least three chlorine atoms, possibly because of the need to dissipate the negative charge enough to keep the anion dissolved in the hydrocarbon solvent. Methylaluminoxane (MAO) also forms ion pair with trityl chloride, although to lesser extent and less persistent.     

Electronic structural studies of pyrrolidinium-based ionic liquids for electrochemical application

Electrochemical stability and noncovalent interactions escorting the cyclic ammonium-based ionic liquids composed of N-alkyl-substituted N-methyl pyrrolidinium (P_yr1R) (R = methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, pentyl, hexyl) cations and four anions hexafluorophosphate (PF₆), tetrafluoroborate (BF₄), bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl-imide (TFSI), and trifluoromethane sulfonate (TFO) have been analyzed using the density functional theory. Electronic structures, electrochemical window, frontier orbital energy difference (HOMO-LUMO gap), binding energies, vibrational spectra of these ion pairs were characterized. It has been established that ion pair formation is largely reigned by C H⋯F interactions between anionic fluorine for BF₄⁻ and PF₆⁻ anions and C H⋯O interactions between anionic oxygen for TFSI and TFO anions and pyrrolidinic proton, methyl, or alkyl group protons of the cations. The effect of alkyl chain length and pairing anions of the alkyl substituted N-methyl pyrrolidinium-based ionic liquids on the electrochemical window was investigated. The results revealed that the HOMO energy of pairing anions is the key factor to decide the electrochemical window. Further quantification of noncovalent interactions in terms of electrostatic and hydrogen bonding interactions has been brought out employing a novel method with the aid of Mulliken and Merz-Singh-Kollman charges, prevailed in pyrrolidinium-based ionic liquids.     

Cluster Formation through Hydrogen Bond Bridges across Chloride Anions in a Hydroxyl-Functionalized Ionic Liquid

Several recent studies of hydroxyl-functionalized ionic liquids (ILs) have shown that cation-cation interactions can be dominating these materials at the molecular level when the anion involved is weakly interacting. The hydrogen bonds between the like ions led to the formation of interesting chain-like, ring-like, or distinct dimeric (i. e. two ion pairs) supermolecular clusters. In the present work, vibrational spectroscopy (ATR-IR and Raman) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the hydroxyl-functionalized imidazolium ionic liquid C₂OHmimCl indicate that anion-cation hydrogen bonding interactions are dominating, leading to the formation of distinct dimeric ion pair clusters. In this arrangement, the Cl⁻ anions function as a bridge between the cations by establishing bifurcated hydrogen bonds with the OH group of one cation and the C(2)-H of another cation. Cation–cation interactions, on the other hand, do not play a significant role in the observed clusters.     

Mass Distribution and Diffusion of [1‐Butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium][Y] Ionic Liquids Adsorbed on the Graphite Surface at 300–800 K

The structure and diffusion behavior of 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium ([bmim]⁺) ionic liquids with [Cl]^?, [PF₆]^?, and [Tf₂N]^? counterions near a hydrophobic graphite surface are investigated by molecular dynamics simulation over the temperature range of 300–800 K. Near the graphite surface the structure of the ionic liquid differs from that in the bulk and it forms a well‐ordered region extending over 30 Å from the surface. The bottom layer of the ionic liquid is stable over the investigated temperature range due to the inherent slow dynamics of the ionic liquid and the strong Coulombic interactions between cation and anion. In the bottom layer, diffusion is strongly anisotropic and predominantly occurs along the graphite surface. Diffusion perpendicular to the interface (interfacial mass transfer rate k_t) is very slow due to strong ion–substrate interaction. The diffusion behaviors of the three ionic liquids in the two directions all follow an Arrhenius relation, and the activation barrier increases with decreasing anion size. Such an Arrhenius relation is applied to surface‐adsorbed ionic liquids for the first time. The ion size and the surface electrical charge density of the anions are the major factors determining the diffusion behavior of the ionic liquid adjacent to the graphite surface.     

Thermal properties of sulfonic acid group functionalized Brönsted acidic ionic liquids

Thermal decomposition onset temperatures have been measured for a total of 24 methylimidazolium, triethanolammonium, and pyridinium type sulfonic acid groups functionalized Brönsted acidic ionic liquids with Cl^?, Br^?, SO₄ ^2?, PO₄ ^3?, BF₄ ^? _, CH₃CO₂ ^?, and CH₃SO₃ ^? anions, using thermogravimetric analysis. Thermal stabilities of these sulfonic acid group functionalized ionic liquids decreases in the order, methylimidazolium > triethanolammonium > pyridinium. The methylimidazolium, pyridinium, and triethanolammonium ionic liquids investigated showed decomposition onset temperatures (air) in the 213–353, 167–240, and 230–307 °C ranges, respectively. Additionally, the decomposition temperatures of these ionic liquids are highly dependent on the nature of the anion.     

Tunable Aggregation-Induced Emission of Imidazole Hydrazones by pH and Anions

Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) materials have drawn great attention for applications as organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) and probes. The applications are, however, restricted by the complex syntheses and hydrophobic properties. Herein, a one-step synthesis of an AIE material based on imidazole hydrazone is assessed. Protonation of the imidazole-H leads to emission color change from yellow to green in the solid state. The emission color is recovered upon imidazole-H⁺ deprotonation. Moreover, the emission wavelength shifts from 532 to 572 nm by anion exchange. In addition, an enhanced emission (Φ_F up to 22.6 %) was obtained with the Br⁻ anion compared with NTf₂⁻, SbCl₅⁻, PF₆⁻, and OTf⁻ anions. X-ray crystallography studies together with theoretical calculations show that the enhanced emission of hydrazone salts arises from strong hydrogen bonding between the hydrazone proton and the halide ion (Cl⁻ or Br⁻).     

Solubilities of p-coumaric and caffeic acid in ionic liquids and organic solvents

The solubilities of two cinnamic acid derivatives, namely p-coumaric acid and caffeic acid, in six 1-alkyl-3-methyl imidazolium based ionic liquids composed of the PF₆⁻, BF₄⁻, TFO⁻ and TF₂N⁻ anions, and in two organic solvents, t-pentanol and ethyl acetate, have been measured at the temperature range of about (303 to 317) K. The p-coumaric acid was found to be more soluble than caffeic acid in all studied solvents. Higher solubilities of both acids were observed in the ionic liquids composed of the BF₄⁻ and TFO⁻ anions. The increase of the alkyl chain length on the cation invokes a decrease in solubility in the case of hydrophilic ionic liquids composed of BF₄⁻ anion, while in the case of hydrophobic ones composed of PF₆⁻ anion an increase in the solubility is observed. Between the two organic solvents t-pentanol is better solvent than ethyl acetate for both acids. Moreover, using the van’t Hoff equations the apparent Gibbs energy, enthalpy, and entropy of solution were calculated. Finally, successful correlation of the experimental data was achieved with the UNIQUAC and the NRTL activity coefficient models, while poor predictions of the solubility of the two acids in the organic solvents were obtained with two UNIFAC models.     

Sensitive Amperometric Determination of Thiocyanates at Ionic Liquid Nanohybrid Kaolinite Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode

Electrochemical sensors have been developed by modifying a glassy carbon electrode with organo‐kaolinite hybrid materials. These materials were obtained by the grafting of four ionic liquids (1‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)‐4‐benzylpyridinium chloride, 1‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)‐4‐(tert‐butyl)pyridinium chloride, 1‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)‐4‐ethylpyridinium chloride and 1‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)‐4‐methylpyridinium chloride) on the interlayer aluminol surfaces of kaolinite. With the presence of ionic liquids in the interlayer space of kaolinite, the hybrid materials acquired anion exchange properties and were successfully applied as electrode modifier for the electroanalysis of thiocyanate (SCN⁻), an anion of medical and environmental concern. A pre‐concentration/detection strategy was used to overcome the interfering effect of the electrolytic solution. After the optimisation of some key experimental parameters (sodium nitrate as electrolyte, 5 min of accumulation time) calibration curves were plotted. Excellent linearity was obtained in the low concentration region (1×10⁻⁶ M to 4×10⁻⁵ M). The lowest detection limit (15 nM) was obtained with the benzylpyridinium functionalized kaolinite and the highest (60 nM) with the methylpyridinium functionalized kaolinite. Interfering anions (NO₃⁻, Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻ and CH₃COO⁻) present in the pre‐concentration solution were found to interfere with SCN⁻ but the sensors remained stable and produced reproducible signals. The most sensitive sensor was successfully applied for the amperometric determination of SCN⁻ in human saliva samples.     

Room-Temperature Synthesis of the Bi5[GaCl4]3 Salt From Three Different Classes of Ionic Liquids

Following the development in the synthesis of subvalent cluster compounds, we report on the use of three different classes of room-temperature ionic liquids for the synthesis of the pentabismuth-tris(tetragallate) salt, Bi₅[GaCl₄]₃, characterized by X-ray diffraction. The Bi₅[GaCl₄]₃ salt was prepared by reduction of BiCl₃ using gallium metal in ionic liquid reaction media containing a strong Lewis acid, GaCl₃. The ionic liquids; trihexyltetradecyl phosphonium chloride [Th-Td-P⁺]Cl^?, 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [Dod-Me-Im⁺]Cl^? and N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium chloride [Bu-Me-Pyrr⁺]Cl^? from three of the main classes of ionic liquids were used in synthesis. Reactions using ionic liquids composed of the trihexyltetradecyl phosphonium cation [Th-Td-P⁺] and the anions; tetrafluoroborate [BF₄ ^?], bis(trifluoro-methyl sulfonyl) imide [(Tf)₂N^?] and hexafluorophosphate [PF₆ ^?] were also investigated.     

Towards a Molecular Understanding of Cation–Anion Interactions—Probing the Electronic Structure of Imidazolium Ionic Liquids by NMR Spectroscopy,X‐ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Theoretical Calculations

Ten [C₈C₁Im]⁺ (1‐methyl‐3‐octylimidazolium)‐based ionic liquids with anions Cl^?, Br^?, I^?, [NO₃]^?, [BF₄]^?, [TfO]^?, [PF₆]^?, [Tf₂N]^?, [Pf₂N]^?, and [FAP]^? (TfO=trifluoromethylsulfonate, Tf₂N=bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, Pf₂N=bis(pentafluoroethylsulfonyl)imide, FAP=tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate) and two [C₈C₁C₁Im]⁺ (1,2‐dimethyl‐3‐octylimidazolium)‐based ionic liquids with anions Br^? and [Tf₂N]^? were investigated by using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), NMR spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. While ¹H NMR spectroscopy is found to probe very specifically the strongest hydrogen‐bond interaction between the hydrogen attached to the C² position and the anion, a comparative XPS study provides first direct experimental evidence for cation–anion charge‐transfer phenomena in ionic liquids as a function of the ionic liquid’s anion. These charge‐transfer effects are found to be surprisingly similar for [C₈C₁Im]⁺ and [C₈C₁C₁Im]⁺ salts of the same anion, which in combination with theoretical calculations leads to the conclusion that hydrogen bonding and charge transfer occur independently from each other, but are both more pronounced for small and more strongly coordinating anions, and are greatly reduced in the case of large and weakly coordinating anions.     

Negative Ion Formation by Thermal Surface Ionization of Sulfur Dioxide

The generation of negative ions from SO₂ in the gas phase was studied using the thermal surface ionization method. Six anion types were measured: O⁻, S⁻, SO⁻, and SO₂⁻ and anions with m/z=96 and m/z=128. The most abundant anion formed was S⁻ and the formation routes are discussed for each of the six anions. O⁻, S⁻, and SO⁻ are formed via dissociative electron attachment to the molecule, whereas the generation of SO₂⁻ and anions with m/z=96 and m/z=128 are probably associated with the formation of H₂SO₄ in the gas inlet system and the ion source. Using statistical thermodynamics the dissociation temperatures of SO₂ and SO in the gas phase are calculated and values of above 1800 °C are obtained for both molecules. We also estimated the optimal filament temperatures for the formation of all anions measured, indicating that for SO₂ the optimal temperature is related to the electron affinity of the molecules: the optimal temperature increases with decreasing value of the electron affinity for the molecule corresponding to the respective anion.     

Cyclic potential sweep electropolymerization of aniline: The role of anions in the polymerization mechanism

The cyclic potential sweep (CPS) method was applied to aniline electropolymerization in several strong acids (H₂SO₄, HNO₃, HCl, HBF₄, HClO₄ and CF₃COOH). It is mainly the type of anion that determines the morphology of polyaniline (PANI) deposits, promoting either a compact (BF⁻₄, ClO₄⁻ and CF₃COO⁻, class 1 anions) or an open structure (SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻ and Cl⁻, class 2 anions), as suggested by the linear (class 1) or quadratic (class 2) dependence of deposition charges on number of cycles, scan rate and concentration of anilinium and anion, as well as by SEM analysis. From the potential dependence of deposition currents, PANI growth onto PANI is suggested to occur via adsorption of anilinium-anion ionic couples onto fully oxidized (pernigraniline) sites of PANI.     

Understanding Structural and Transport Properties of Dissolved Li2S8 in Ionic Liquid Electrolytes through Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Lithium-sulfur batteries with high energy density are considered as one of the most promising future energy storage devices. However, the parasitic lithium polysulfides shuttle phenomenon severely hinders the commercialization of such batteries. Ionic liquids have been found to suppress the lithium polysulfides solubility, diminishing the shuttle effect effectively. Herein, we performed classical molecular dynamics simulations to explore the microscopic mechanism and transport behaviors of typical Li₂S₈ species in ionic liquids and ionic liquid-based electrolyte systems. We found that the trifluoromethanesulfonate anions ([OTf]⁻) exhibit higher coordination strength with lithium ions compared with bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide anions ([TFSI]⁻) in static microstructures. However, the dynamical characteristics indicate that the presence of the [OTf]⁻ anions in ionic liquid electrolytes bring faster Li⁺ exchange rate and easier dissociation of Li⁺ solvation structures. Our simulation models offer a significant guidance to future studies on designing ionic liquid electrolytes for lithium-sulfur batteries.     

Gas‐phase dissociation of ionic liquid aggregates studied by electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry and energy‐variable collision induced dissociation

Positive singly charged ionic liquid aggregates [(C_nmim)_m+1(BF₄)_m]⁺ (mim = 3‐methylimidazolium; n = 2, 4, 8 and 10) and [(C₄mim)_m+1(A)_m]⁺ (A = Cl⁻, BF₄⁻, PF₆⁻, CF₃SO₃⁻ and (CF₃SO₂)₂N⁻) were investigated by electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry and energy‐variable collision induced dissociation. The electrospray ionisation mass spectra (ESI‐MS) showed the formation of an aggregate with extra stability for m = 4 for all the ionic liquids with the exception of [C₄mim][CF₃SO₃]. ESI‐MS‐MS and breakdown curves of aggregate ions showed that their dissociation occurred by loss of neutral species ([C_nmim][A])_a with a ≥ 1. Variable‐energy collision induced dissociation of each aggregate from m = 1 to m = 8 for all the ionic liquids studied enabled the determination of E_{cm, 1/2} values, whose variation with m showed that the monomers were always kinetically much more stable than the larger aggregates, independently of the nature of cation and anion. The centre‐of‐mass energy values correlate well with literature data on ionic volumes and interaction and hydrogen bond energies. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and dissolving power of 1-Alkyl-3-methylpyridinium-based ionic liquids

1-Alkyl-3-methylpyridinium-based ionic liquids with substituents from C₂ to C₁₀ and anions Cl^? and Br^? were synthesized, and their dissolving power toward the cellulose was investigated. The results of quantum-chemical calculations of molecules of ionic liquids are presented.     

Porous texture of silica aerogels made with ionic liquids as gelation catalysts

The effect of four ionic liquids on the porous texture of silica aerogels synthesized from mixed tetramethoxysilane and methyltrimethoxysilane and dried by the CO₂ supercritical method, was studied. Two of these ionic liquids were composed of BF₄ ⁻ anions while the other two included Cl⁻ anions. The synthesis of gels from ionic liquids did not require another acidic catalyst for silica hydrolysis, nor a basic catalyst for silica condensation. These aerogels were compared with traditional aerogels made according to a double step catalysis, which first involved hydrolysis with HCl followed by condensation with pH 9 Tris HCl buffer. Gel mass analysis and thermogravimetric data showed that, when the initial molar of ionic liquid to Si was 1.58, only ~2% (by mass) of the initial ionic liquids consisting of BF₄ ⁻ anions and ~10% (by mass) of ionic liquids containing Cl⁻ anions, remained in the aerogels after supercritical drying. Moreover, X-ray diffraction confirmed that in ionic liquids based on BF₄ ⁻ anions, evaporation of the volatile components before supercritical CO₂ drying led to the formation of regularly ordered mesopores.     

Raman Spectroscopic Study on Alkyl Chain Conformation in 1‐Butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium Ionic Liquids and their Aqueous Mixtures

Ionic liquids of 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium ([BMIM]) cation with different anions (Cl^?, Br^?, I^?, and BF₄^?), and their aqueous mixtures were investigated by using Raman spectroscopy and dispersion‐included density functional theory (DFT). The characteristic Raman bands at 600 and 624 cm^?1 for two isomers of the butyl chain in the imidazolium cation showed significant changes in intensity for different anions as well as in aqueous solutions. The area ratio of these two bands followed the order I^?>Br^?>Cl^?>BF₄^? (in terms of the anion X in [BMIM]X), indicating that the butyl chain of [BMIM]I tends to adopt the trans conformation. The butyl chain was found to adopt the gauche conformation upon dilution, irrespective of the anion type. The Raman bands in the butyl C?H stretch region for [BMIM]X (X=Cl^?, Br^?, and I^?) blueshifted significantly with the increase in the water concentration, whereas that for [BMIM]BF₄ changed very little upon dilution. The blueshift in the C?H stretch region upon dilution also followed the order: [BMIM]I>[BMIM]Br>[BMIM]Cl>[BMIM]BF₄, the same order as the above trans conformation preference of the butyl chain in pure imidazolium ionic liquids, which suggested that the cation‐anion interaction plays a role in determining the conformation of the chain.     

Chiral Pyrrolidinium Ionic Liquids with (−)-Borneol Fragment in the Cation – Synthesis,Physicochemical Properties and Application in Diels-Alder Reaction

A series of chiral pyrrolidinium salts containing (1 S)-endo-(−)-born-2-yloxymethyl substituent in the structure of the cation and six different anions: chloride, tetrafluoroborate [BF₄]⁻, hexafluorophosphate [PF₆]⁻, trifluoromethanesulfonate [OTf]⁻, bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide [NTf₂]⁻, bis(pentafluoroethylsulfonyl)imide [NPf₂]⁻ and perfluorobutanesulfonate [C₄FS]⁻ were efficiently prepared and extensively characterized. The enantiomeric purity of them was confirmed by NMR analysis with a chemical shift reagent. All salts were characterized with the specific rotation, the solubility in commonly used solvents, thermal properties, including phase transition temperatures and thermal stability. Salts with [PF₆]⁻, [C₄FS]⁻, [NTf₂]⁻ and [NPf₂]⁻ anions were classified as chiral ionic liquids (CILs). Moreover, salts with [NTf₂]⁻ and [NPf₂]⁻ anions were in the liquid state at room temperature and below. Therefore, density and dynamic viscosity, the surface tension and the contact angle on three different surfaces were also measured for them. Additionally, these chiral ionic liquids were tested as solvents in Diels-Alder reaction.     

Aqueous Solutions of Ionic Liquids: Microscopic Assembly

Aqueous solutions of ionic liquids are of special interest, due to the distinctive properties of ionic liquids, in particular, their amphiphilic character. A better understanding of the structure–property relationships of such systems is hence desirable. One of the crucial molecular‐level interactions that influences the macroscopic behavior is hydrogen bonding. In this work, we conduct molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the effects of ionic liquids on the hydrogen‐bond network of water in dilute aqueous solutions of ionic liquids with various combinations of cations and anions. Calculations are performed for imidazolium‐based cations with alkyl chains of different lengths and for a variety of anions, namely, [Br]^?, [NO₃]^?, [SCN]^?, [BF₄]^?, [PF₆]^?, and [Tf₂N]^?. The structure of water and the water–ionic liquid interactions involved in the formation of a heterogeneous network are analyzed by using radial distribution functions and hydrogen‐bond statistics. To this end, we employ the geometric criterion of the hydrogen‐bond definition and it is shown that the structure of water is sensitive to the amount of ionic liquid and to the anion type. In particular, [SCN]^? and [Tf₂N]^? were found to be the most hydrophilic and hydrophobic anions, respectively. Conversely, the cation chain length did not influence the results.