Ionic‐Liquid‐Assisted Formation of Silver Nanowires

Down to the wire : A simple and effective method to synthesize silver nanowires through an ionic‐liquid‐assisted polyol process is developed (see scheme; scale bar=5 nm). The ionic liquids are tuned to provide the anisotropic growth of silver nanoparticles into nanowires.

     

Ionic‐Liquid‐Based Acidic Aqueous Biphasic Systems for Simultaneous Leaching and Extraction of Metallic Ions

The first instance of an acidic aqueous biphasic system (AcABS) based on tributyltetradecyl phosphonium chloride ([P₄₄₄₁₄][Cl]) and an acid is here reported. This AcABS exhibits pronounced thermomorphic behavior and is shown to be applicable to the extraction of metal ions from concentrated acidic solutions. Metal ions such as cobalt(II), iron(III), platinum(IV) and nickel(II) are found to partition preferentially to one of the phases of the acidic aqueous biphasic system and it is here shown that it successfully allows the difficult separation of Co^II from Ni^II, here studied at 24 and 50 °C.     

Ionic‐liquid‐impregnated resin for the microwave‐assisted solid–liquid extraction of triazine herbicides in honey

Microwave‐assisted ionic‐liquid‐impregnated resin solid–liquid extraction was developed for the extraction of triazine herbicides, including cyanazine, metribuzin, desmetryn, secbumeton, terbumeton, terbuthylazine, dimethametryn, and dipropetryn in honey samples. The ionic‐liquid‐impregnated resin was prepared by immobilizing 1‐hexyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate in the microspores of resin. The resin was used as the extraction adsorbent. The extraction and enrichment of analytes were performed in a single step. The extraction time can be shortened greatly with the help of microwave. The effects of experimental parameters including type of resin, type of ionic liquid, mass ratio of resin to ionic liquid, extraction time, amount of the impregnated resin, extraction temperature, salt concentration, and desorption conditions on the extraction efficiency, were investigated. A Box–Behnken design was applied to the selection of the experimental parameters. The recoveries were in the range of 80.1 to 103.4% and the relative standard deviations were lower than 6.8%. The present method was applied to the analysis of honey samples.     

Microwave‐Assisted Tandem Transformation on an Ionic‐Liquid Support: Efficient Synthesis of Pyrrolo/Pyridobenzimidazolones and Isoindolinone‐Fused Benzimidazoles

A tandem transformation that involves the formation of three bonds and two heterocyclic rings in a one‐pot fashion through amino‐alkylation of an ionic‐liquid‐immobilized diamine with keto acids followed by successive double intramolecular cyclizations to afford a tricyclic framework has been explored. This tandem cyclization has been utilized to develop a rapid and efficient method to synthesize various pyrrolo[1,2‐a]benzimidazolones and pyrido[1,2‐a]benzimidazolones on an ionic‐liquid support by using focused microwave irradiation. The application of this tandem cyclization was further extended to the aromatic keto acids to provide isoindolinone‐fused benzimidazoles, a structurally heterogeneous library with skeletal diversity. The outcome of the cascade reaction was confirmed by the X‐ray crystallographic study of the product directly attached to the ionic‐liquid support. Use of the ionic liquid as a soluble support facilitates purification by simple precipitation along with advantages like high loading capacity, homogeneous reaction conditions, and monitoring of the reaction progress by regular conventional spectroscopic methods, whereas application of microwave irradiation greatly accelerates the rate of the reactions.     

Ionic‐Liquid‐Assisted Synthesis of Uniform Fluorinated B/C‐Codoped TiO2 Nanocrystals and Their Enhanced Visible‐Light Photocatalytic Activity

Exploiting advanced photocatalysts under visible light is of primary significance for the development of environmentally relevant photocatalytic decontamination processes. In this study, the ionic liquid (IL), 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, was employed for the first time as both a structure‐directing agent and a dopant for the synthesis of novel fluorinated B/C‐codoped anatase TiO₂ nanocrystals (T_IL) through hydrothermal hydrolysis of tetrabutyl titanate. These T_IL nanocrystals feature uniform crystallite and pore sizes and are stable with respect to phase transitions, crystal ripening, and pore collapse upon calcination treatment. More significantly, these nanocrystals possess abundant localized states and strong visible‐light absorption in a wide range of wavelengths. Because of synergic interactions between titania and codopants, the calcined T_IL samples exhibited high visible‐light photocatalytic activity in the presence of oxidizing Rhodamine B (RhB). In particular, 300 °C‐calcined T_IL was most photocatalytically active; its activity was much higher than that of TiO_1.98N_0.02 and reference samples (T_W) obtained under identical conditions in the absence of ionic liquid. Furthermore, the possible photocatalytic oxidation mechanism and the active species involved in the RhB degradation photocatalyzed by the T_IL samples were primarily investigated experimentally by using different scavengers. It was found that both holes and electrons, as well as their derived active species, such as ^.OH, contributed to the RhB degradation occurring on the fluorinated B/C‐codoped TiO₂ photocatalyst, in terms of both the photocatalytic reaction dynamics and the reaction pathway. The synthesis of the aforementioned novel photocatalyst and the identification of specific active species involved in the photodegradation of dyes could shed new light on the design and synthesis of semiconductor materials with enhanced photocatalytic activity towards organic pollutants.     

Synthesis of Hierarchical Porous Metals Using Ionic‐Liquid‐Based Media as Solvent and Template

It was found that nanodomains existed in the ionic liquid (IL)‐based ternary system containing IL 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazole tetrafluoroborate (EmimBF₄), IL 1‐decyl‐3‐methylimidazole nitrate (DmimNO₃) and water, and the size distribution of the domains varied continuously with the composition of the solution. A strategy to synthesize hierarchical porous metals using IL‐based media as solvent and template is proposed, and the hierarchical porous Ru and Pt metals were prepared by the assembly of metal clusters of about 1.5 nm using this new method. It is demonstrated that the metals have micropores and mesopores, and the size distribution is tuned by controlling the composition of the solution. Porous Ru was used for a series of hydrogenation reactions. It has an outstanding catalytic performance owing to its special morphology and structure.     

Ionic‐liquid‐assisted microwave distillation coupled with headspace single‐drop microextraction followed by GC–MS for the rapid analysis of essential oil in Dryopteris fragrans

A rapid, green and effective miniaturized sample preparation technique, ionic‐liquid‐assisted microwave distillation coupled with headspace single‐drop microextraction was developed for the extraction of essential oil from dried Dryopteris fragrans. 1‐Ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium acetate was the optimal ionic liquid as the destruction agent of plant cell walls and microwave absorption was medium. n‐Heptadecane (2.0 μL) was adopted as the suspended microdrop solvent in the headspace for the extraction and concentration of essential oil. The optimal parameters of the proposed method were an irradiation power of 300 W, sample mass of 0.9 g, mass ratio of ionic liquids to sample of 2.8, extraction temperature of 79°C, and extraction time of 3.6 min. In comparison to the previous reports, the proposed technique could equally monitor all the essential oil components with no significant differences in a simple way, which was more rapid and required a much lower amount of sample.     

Ionic‐liquid‐assisted desorption of DNA from polyamidoamine‐grafted silica nanoparticles surface by a low‐salt solution

We studied the influences of imidazolium‐based ionic liquids as additives in low ionic strength phosphate solution on releasing DNA from polyamidoamine dendrimer‐grafted silica nanoparticle surfaces. The effects of the side‐chain length of the imidazolium group, the anion and the concentration of the ionic liquid, the generation of the dendrimer, and the pH and the concentration of the release solution were investigated. It was found that addition of 4 mM 1‐hexyl‐3‐methylimidazolium bromide to 5 mM phosphate at pH 11 could markedly promote the desorption of DNA fragments, with a desorption efficiency of 99.0%. Compared with the conventional strategies employing high‐salt solutions or elevated temperature for acceptable recoveries, the method described here enabled quick release of DNA fragments that permitted direct, accurate analysis, and further treatment without desalting.     

Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Ionic Liquid and Application for the Detection of Dissolved Oxygen

The electrochemical synthesis of silver nanoparticles (nano‐Ag) has been successfully carried out on glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and indium tin oxide electrode (ITO) using 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMT) as green electrolytes. Further the electrodeposited nano‐Ag modified ITO electrode has been examined using atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X‐ray diffraction studies (XRD). The electrodeposited Ag nanoparticles on ITO were found in the size range of 5 to 35 nm. The nano‐Ag film modified GCE was further coated with nafion (Nf) and BMT (1 : 1 ratio) mixture and found to be stable in BMT and in pH 7 phosphate buffer solution (PBS). The nano‐Ag/BMT‐Nf film modified GCE successfully applied for the oxygen reduction reaction in neutral pH (pH 7.0 PBS). The proposed film modified GCE successfully reduces the over potential and show well defined reduction peaks for the detection of dissolved oxygen using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and rotating disc voltammetry (RDE). The film also applied for the detection of dissolved oxygen using electrochemical impedance spectroscopic studies (EIS).     

Microwave‐Assisted Synthesis of Arylazoaminopyrazoles as Disperse Dyes for Textile Printing

The synthesis of heterocyclic azo‐dyes via conventional heating and microwave (MW) heating was investigated. From a sequence of reactions starting from cyanoacetic acid, 4‐arylazo‐2H‐pyrazol‐3‐ylamines and 4‐arylazo‐2‐phenyl‐2H‐pyrazol‐3‐ylamines were obtained. The structures these compounds were obtained by inspection of spectroscopic and analytical techniques including ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. The fastness properties and UV/Vis absorption spectroscopic data of these disperse dyes in printing polyester fabrics were investigated.     

Ionic‐Liquid‐Based Synthesis of the Bromine‐Rich Bromidoplatinates [NBu3Me]2[Pt2Br10](Br2)2 and [NBu3Me]2[Pt2Br10](Br2)3

The bromine‐rich bromidoplatinates(IV) [NBu₃Me]₂[Pt₂Br₁₀](Br₂)₂ ( 1 ) and [NBu₃Me]₂[Pt₂Br₁₀](Br₂)₃ ( 2 ) were prepared by reaction of PtBr₄ and elemental bromine in the ionic liquid [MeBu₃N][N(Tf)₂] [N(Tf)₂ = bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide]. Both bromine‐rich bromidoplatinates(IV) contain [Pt₂Br₁₀]^2– anions and [NBu₃Me]⁺ cations as voluminous building units with an almost identical structural arrangement and very similar unit cells. The difference of the title compounds is related to the specific number of Br₂ molecules that link the [Pt₂Br₁₀]^2– anions to three‐dimensional networks. Whereas 1 is relatively stable under inert conditions, 2 releases bromine even at ambient pressure. The title compounds are characterized by single‐crystal structure analysis and Raman spectroscopy.     

[Te8]2[Ta4O4Cl16]: A Two‐dimensional Tellurium Polycation obtained via Ionic Liquid‐Based Synthesis

By reaction of elemental tellurium, tellurium(IV) chloride, tantalum(V) chloride and tantalum(V) oxychloride in the ionic liquid [BMIM]Cl ([BMIM]Cl:1‐Butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride),[Te₈]₂[Ta₄O₄Cl₁₆] is obtained in the form of lucent black crystals. The title compound consists of infinite [Te–Te–(Te₆)]_n²⁺ chains (Te–Te: 264.9(1)–284.3(1) pm) and isolated [Ta₄O₄Cl₁₆]^4– anions. The [Te–Te–(Te₆)]_n²⁺ chains are interconnected to form a two‐dimensional tellurium network (Te–Te: 335.9 pm). Due to this interaction the [Te–Te–(Te₆)]_n²⁺ chains in [Te₈]₂[Ta₄O₄Cl₁₆] show an arrangement that differs significantly from known polycationic [Te₈]_n²⁺ chains. The two‐dimensional tellurium network is finally separated by tetrameric, corner‐sharing oxidochloridotantalate anions [(TaO_2/2Cl_4/1)₄]^4– that are firstly observed. The composition of [Te₈]₂[Ta₄O₄Cl₁₆] is confirmed by EDX analysis; its optical band gap is estimated to 1.1–1.2 eV via UV/Vis spectroscopy.     

Liquid‐Crystalline Thiol‐ and Disulfide‐Based Dendrimers for the Functionalization of Gold Nanoparticles. Preliminary Communication

Liquid‐crystalline dendrons carrying either a thiol or disulfide function which display nematic, smectic A, columnar, or chiral nematic phases have been synthesized. Their mesomorphic properties are in agreement with the nature of the mesogenic units and structure of the dendrons. The first‐generation poly(aryl ester) dendron containing two cyanobiphenyl mesogenic units was used to functionalize gold nanoparticles. For full coverage, a smectic‐like supramolecular organization on the nanometer scale is observed, when the gold nanoparticles are spread onto carbon‐coated copper grids. This result indicates that the dendritic ligands reported here act as self‐organization promoters.     

Ionic‐liquid‐based ultrasound/microwave‐assisted extraction of 2,4‐dihydroxy‐7‐methoxy‐1,4‐benzoxazin‐3‐one and 6‐methoxy‐benzoxazolin‐2‐one from maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings

We evaluated an ionic‐liquid‐based ultrasound/microwave‐assisted extraction method for the extraction of 2,4‐dihydroxy‐7‐methoxy‐1,4‐benzoxazin‐3‐one and 6‐methoxy‐benzoxazolin‐2‐one from etiolated maize seedlings. We performed single‐factor and central composite rotatable design experiments to optimize the most important parameters influencing this technique. The best results were obtained using 1.00 M 1‐octyl‐3‐methylimidazolium bromide as the extraction solvent, a 50°C extraction temperature, a 20:1 liquid/solid ratio (mL/g), a 21 min treatment time, 590 W microwave power, and 50 W fixed ultrasonic power. We performed a comparison between ionic‐liquid‐based ultrasound/microwave‐assisted extraction and conventional homogenized extraction. Extraction yields of 2,4‐dihydroxy‐7‐methoxy‐1,4‐benzoxazin‐3‐one and 6‐methoxy‐benzoxazolin‐2‐one by the ionic‐liquid‐based ultrasound/microwave‐assisted extraction method were 1.392 ± 0.051 and 0.205 ± 0.008 mg/g, respectively, which were correspondingly 1.46‐ and 1.32‐fold higher than those obtained by conventional homogenized extraction. All the results show that the ionic‐liquid‐based ultrasound/microwave‐assisted extraction method is therefore an efficient and credible method for the extraction of 2,4‐dihydroxy‐7‐methoxy‐1,4‐benzoxazin‐3‐one and 6‐methoxy‐benzoxazolin‐2‐one from maize seedlings.     

Catalytic Performance of Ruthenium‐Supported Ionic‐Liquid Catalysts in Sustainable Synthesis of Macrocyclic Lactones

Thirteen‐ to eighteen‐membered lactones were synthesized by ring‐closing olefin‐metathesis reactions of bis‐olefins with heterogeneous Grubbs‐supported ionic‐liquid catalysts (SILCs), in which homogeneous Grubbs catalysts were confined in pores of alumina with the aid of an ionic liquid. The Grubbs‐SILCs exhibited higher catalytic performance than their homogeneous counterparts and could be repeatedly recovered by simple filtration and re‐used several times.     

Synthesis of Dendrimer‐Encapsulated Silver Nanoparticles and Its Catalytic Activity on the Reduction of 4‐Nitrophenol

A new type of water soluble PEG core dendrimer having hydroxyl groups at the periphery was synthesized and used to prepare silver nanoparticles. The dendrimer and the dendrimer encapsulated nanoparticles (DENs) were characterized by spectroscopic techniques. The kinetics of catalytic activity of the prepared silver nanoparticle on the reduction of 4‐nitrophenol to 4‐aminophenol by NaBH₄ as a reductant was studied using UV‐Visible spectrophotometer.