Diels-Alder reactions in pyridinium based ionic liquids

Diels-Alder reactions have been investigated in pyridinium based ionic liquids. These solvents are found to be more effective compared to the organic solvent studied, in enhancing the reaction rate and product yields. Recycled ionic liquids also gave excellent results.     

Origin of low melting point of ionic liquids: dominant role of entropy

Ionic liquids (ILs) are salts with an extremely low melting point. Substantial efforts have been made to address their low melting point from the enthalpic standpoint (i.e. interionic interactions). However, this question is still open. In this study, we report our findings that entropic (large fusion entropy), rather than enthalpic, contributions are primarily responsible for lowering the melting point in many cases, based on a large thermodynamic dataset. We have established a computational protocol using molecular dynamics simulations to decompose fusion entropy into kinetic (translational, rotational, and intramolecular vibrational) and structural (conformational and configurational) terms and successfully applied this approach for two representatives of ILs and NaCl. It is revealed that large structural contribution, particularly configurational entropy in the liquid state, plays a deterministic role in the large fusion entropy and consequently the low melting point of the ILs.

Large structural entropy makes salts liquid at room temperature.     

Friedel-Crafts acylation reactions in pyridinium based ionic liquids

The Friedel-Crafts acylations of representative aromatic compounds with acetic anhydride in pyridinium based ionic liquids (ILs) were investigated. The effect of factors such as reactant composition, catalyst-IL composition, catalyst dosage and reaction temperature were studied. The reactions were found to proceed under relatively mild conditions with excellent conversions; and a simple product isolation procedure was achieved. ILs could also be recycled and reused effectively, thus rendering green characteristic to this reaction.     

Low-viscosity and low-melting point asymmetric trialkylsulfonium based ionic liquids as potential electrolytes

Nine new ionic liquids based on small asymmetric trialkylsulfonium cations with TFSI⁻ anion were prepared and characterized. Physical and electrochemical properties of these ionic liquids, including melting point, thermal stability, viscosity, conductivity and electrochemical window were determined. Reducing symmetry of cations reduces the melting points of these ILs. Some of these hydrophobic ionic liquids showed low-viscosity and low-melting point characteristics. The viscosities of S₂₂₃TFSI, S₂₂₁TFSI and S₁₂₃TFSI were 33, 36 and 39 mPa s at 25 °C, respectively. Electrochemical and thermal stabilities of these ILs permitted them to become promising electrolytes used in electrochemical devices.     

Solvent polarities and kamlet-taft parameters for ionic liquids containing a pyridinium cation

Five recently synthesized pyridinium ionic liquids [(1-butyl-4-methylpyridinium, 1-octylpyridinium, 1-octyl-2-methylpyridinium, 1-octyl-3-methylpyridinium, and 1-octyl-4-methylpyridinium, all with anion bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide], were investigated to establish the influence of substituting a methyl group and the influence of alkyl chain length on the cation on polarity ET(N) and on three Kamlet-Taft parameters: dipolarity/polarizabilty (pi*), hydrogen-bond acidity (alpha), and hydrogen-bond basicity (beta). Experimental measurements cover the range 25 to 65 degrees C.     

Protic pyridinium ionic liquids: Synthesis, acidity determination and their performances for acid catalysis

Three new protic ionic liquids based on 2-methylpyridinium were prepared and characterized. Their catalytic activities for the tert-butylation of phenol and the esterification of cyclic olefins with acetic acid were examined and satisfactory results were obtained over 2-methylpyridinium trifluoromethanesulfonate ([2-MPyH]OTf). Hammett method was used to determine the acidity order of these ionic liquids and the results are consistent with the catalytic activities observed in the acid-catalyzed probe reactions.     

Selectivity of stationary phases based on pyridinium ionic liquids for capillary gas chromatography

A number of capillary columns with stationary liquid phases based on mono- and dication pyridinium ionic liquids (ILs) were prepared. Their polarity was evaluated using McReynolds system and the selectivity was estimated from intermolecular interactions. The parameters of intermolecular interactions were obtained from retention data using the (Abraham) model of the linear free energy relationship. The dependences of intermolecular interactions on the structure of the cation in the ILs under study were revealed. The results were compared with the data for the traditional phases (HP-5, ZB-WAX). Examples of separation of mixtures of oxygen-containing compounds on the phases under study are given.     

Expanding the useful range of ionic liquids: melting point depression of organic salts with carbon dioxide for biphasic catalytic reactions

Large and previously unreported melting point depressions (even exceeding DeltaTm of 100 degrees C) were observed for simple ammonium and phosphonium salts in the presence of compressed CO2, bringing them well within the range of typical ionic liquids; possible applications include biphasic catalysis in IL/scCO2 systems as demonstrated for rhodium complex catalyzed hydrogenation, hydroformylation, and hydroboration of 2-vinyl-naphthalene using a CO2-induced molten sample of [NBu4][BF4] as a catalyst phase at temperatures in the range of 55-75 degrees C, i.e. 100 degrees C below the normal melting point of the organic salt.     

Exploration of quantitative structure-property relationships (QSPR) for the design of new guanidinium ionic liquids

Computer-aided design of new guanidinium salts was explored and experimentally tested, en route to the discovery of new ionic liquids. Quantitative structure-property relationships were established to predict the mp of guanidinium salts of four different anionic families (Cl⁻, BPh₄⁻, Br⁻, and I⁻). Models were built with a data set of 101 salts and counterpropagation neural networks. Predictions for an independent test set were obtained with R²=0.815, and a fivefold cross-validation procedure yielded R²=0.742. Assisted by the models, six new guanidinium salts were prepared, and the measured melting properties were reasonably in accordance with the predictions. One of the new chloride salts is liquid at room temperature, and three tetraphenylborate salts have mp values lower than those previously available in the data set for that anion.     

L-proline promoted Ullmann-type reaction of vinyl bromides with imidazoles in ionic liquids

The Ullmann-type coupling reaction of vinyl bromides and imidazoles in ILs at 90-110 degrees C gave the corresponding N-vinylimidazoles in good to excellent yields by using L-proline as the ligand; the double bond geometry of the vinyl bromides was retained under the reaction conditions.     

Nitrile-functionalized pyridinium ionic liquids: synthesis, characterization, and their application in carbon-carbon coupling reactions

A series of relatively low-cost ionic liquids, based on the N-butyronitrile pyridinium cation [C(3)CNpy](+), designed to improve catalyst retention, have been prepared and evaluated in Suzuki and Stille coupling reactions. Depending on the nature of the anion, these salts react with palladium chloride to form [C(3)CNpy](2)[PdCl(4)] when the anion is Cl(-) and complexes of the formula [PdCl(2)(C(3)CNpy)(2)][anion](2) when the anion is PF(6)(-), BF(4)(-), or N(SO(2)CF(3))(2)(-). The solid-state structures of [C(3)CNpy]Cl and [C(3)CNpy](2)[PdCl(4)] have been established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The catalytic activity of these palladium complexes following immobilization in both N-butylpyridinium and nitrile-functionalized ionic liquids has been evaluated in Suzuki and Stille coupling reactions. All of the palladium complexes show good catalytic activity, but recycling and reuse is considerably superior in the nitrile-functionalized ionic liquid. Inductive coupled plasma spectroscopy reveals that the presence of the coordinating nitrile moiety in the ionic liquid leads to a significant decrease in palladium leaching relative to simple N-alkylpyridinium ionic liquids. Palladium nanoparticles have been identified as the active catalyst in the Stille reaction and were characterized using transmission electron microscopy.     

High-pressure CO2-induced reduction of the melting temperature of ionic liquids

An in situ ATR-IR spectroscopic study has shown that high-pressure CO2 reduces melting temperature of ionic liquids such as [C16mim][PF6].     

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy evidence for structural heterogeneity in ionic liquids

In this work, we provide new experimental evidence for chain length-dependent self-aggregation in room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). In studying a homologous series of N-alkyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide, [C(n)MPy][Tf(2)N] RTILs of varying alkyl chain length (n = 3, 4, 6, 8, and 10), biphasic rhodamine 6G solute diffusion dynamics were observed; both the fast and slow diffusion coefficients decreased with increasing alkyl chain length, with the relative contribution from slower diffusion increasing for longer-chain [C(n)MPy][Tf(2)N]. We propose that the biphasic diffusion dynamics originate from self-aggregation of the nonpolar alkyl chains in the cationic [C(n)MPy](+).     

Palladate salts from chiral pyridinium ionic liquids: synthesis and crystal structures

This paper reports the preparation, characterization and the crystal X-ray structures of metal-containing ionic liquid complexes based on chiral pyridinium cations and tetrachloropalladate (II) [PdCl4]2-.     

Aggregation behavior of alkyl triphenyl phosphonium bromides in aprotic and protic ionic liquids

The aggregation behavior of alkyltriphenylphonium bromides, C _n TPB (n?=?12 and 14), has been investigated in two different room-temperature ionic liquids (ILs), the aprotic 1-butyl-3-metyllimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([bmim][BF₄]), and the protic ethylammonium nitrate (EAN). The critical micelle concentration was determined by the surface tension measurements. The calculated thermodynamic parameters based on surface tension measurements at various temperatures indicate that the micellization for C _n TPB in both aprotic [bmim][BF₄] and protic EAN is enthalpy-driven. But stronger solvophobic interactions presented between C _n TPB and protic EAN than aprotic [bmim][BF₄]. ¹H NMR spectra were further conducted to reveal that ethylammonium cation can insert into the micelle while imidazole cation only locates among the head groups of C _n TPB.     

Melting point depression of ionic liquids confined in nanospaces

A new physical method was proposed to control the liquid properties of room temperature ionic liquids (RT-ILs) in combination with nanoporous materials; the melting point of ILs confined in nanopores remarkably decreases in proportion to the inverse of the pore size.