Ionic liquid‐based ultrasound‐assisted extraction of fangchinoline and tetrandrine from Stephaniae tetrandrae

An ionic liquid‐based ultrasound‐assisted extraction method has been developed for the effective extraction of fangchinoline and tetrandrine from Stephaniae tetrandrae. The effects of some ultrasound‐assisted extraction parameters including the concentration of [BMIM][BF₄], pH, ultrasonic power and time were investigated to optimize the ultrasound‐assisted extraction conditions. Compared to the regular ultrasound‐assisted extraction and traditional refluent extraction, the proposed [BMIM][BF₄]‐based ultrasound‐assisted extraction offered shorter extraction times (from 6 h to 40 min) and remarkable higher efficiencies (approximately 30% improved), which supported the suitability of the proposed approach. In addition, the proposed approach was confirmed by the good correlation coefficient (R²), recovery and reproducibility (RSD, n = 5), which were in the range of 0.9992–0.9995, 85.5–101.1%, and 1.87–4.33%, respectively.     

MIL‐53(Al) as a Versatile Platform for Ionic‐Liquid/MOF Composites to Enhance CO2 Selectivity over CH4 and N2

Five different imidazolium‐based ionic liquids (ILs) were incorporated into a metal–organic framework (MOF), MIL‐53(Al), to investigate the effect of IL incorporation on the CO₂ separation performance of MIL‐53(Al). CO₂, CH₄, and N₂ adsorption isotherms of the IL/MIL‐53(Al) composites and pristine MIL‐53(Al) were measured to evaluate the effect of the ILs on the CO₂/CH₄ and CO₂/N₂ selectivities of the MOF. Of the composite materials that were tested, [BMIM][PF₆]/MIL‐53(Al) exhibited the largest increase in CO₂/CH₄ selectivity, 2.8‐times higher than that of pristine MIL‐53(Al), whilst [BMIM][MeSO₄]/MIL‐53(Al) exhibited the largest increase in CO₂/N₂ selectivity, 3.3‐times higher than that of pristine MIL‐53(Al). A comparison of the CO₂ separation potentials of the IL/MOF composites showed that the [BMIM][BF₄]‐ and [BMIM][PF₆]‐incorporated MIL‐53(Al) composites both showed enhanced CO₂/N₂ and CO₂/CH₄ selectivities at pressures of 1–5 bar compared to composites of CuBTC and ZIF‐8 with the same ILs. These results demonstrate that MIL‐53(Al) is a versatile platform for IL/MOF composites and could help to guide the rational design of new composites for target gas‐separation applications.     

Determination of Triazines by Ultrasonic-Assisted Ionic Liquid Microextraction Coupled with High Performance Liquid Chromatography

The determination of triazine herbicides by ultrasonic‐assisted ionic liquid microextraction coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography was described. 1‐Hexyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C₆MIm][PF₆]) was used as the extraction solvent and some extraction parameters, including volume of [C₆MIm][PF₆], extraction temperature and time, salt concentration and pH values of sample solution, were examined and optimized. The isolation of the target compounds from the matrix was found to be efficient when triazines in 10 mL of sample solution was extracted with 100 µL of [C₆MIm][PF₆] for 40 min at 50°C. The detection limits for the triazine range from 0.36 to 1.41 µg·L^?1. The satisfactory recoveries (82.3% –120.3%) with relative standard deviations ≦10.1% were obtained for the four triazine herbicides from six kinds of practical water samples.     

The Synthesis of Anatase TiO2 Nanoparticles by Solvothermal Method using Ionic Liquid as Additive

The solvothermal reactions of Ti(OiPr)₄ in alcohol using ionic liquid as additive were investigated. In the presence of [BMIM][Cl], [BMIM][Br], [BMIM][NTf₂], [BMIM][SO₃Me], [BMIM][SO₄Me], or [BMIM][OTf] (BMIM = 1‐Butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium), pure anatase nanoparticles were obtained. The controlled hydrolysis of Ti(OiPr)₄ in the presence of ionic liquids to form titanium oxo clusters plays a key role in the formation of anatase nanostructures, and ionic liquids can be repeatedly used to synthesise anatase nanoparticles. However, in the presence of [BMIM][PF₆], [BMIM]₂[Ti(OH)₆] was obtained by an anion exchange reaction.     

Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes with Water‐Insoluble Porphyrin in Ionic Liquid: Direct Electrochemistry and Highly Sensitive Amperometric Biosensing for Trichloroacetic Acid

A functional composite of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) with hematin, a water‐insoluble porphyrin, was first prepared in 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIM][PF₆]) ionic liquid. The novel composite in ionic liquid was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and showed a pair of direct redox peaks of the Fe^III/Fe^II couple. The composite–[BMIM][PF₆]‐modified glassy carbon electrode showed excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the reduction of trichloroacetic acid (TCA) in neutral media due to the synergic effect among SWNTs, [BMIM][PF₆], and porphyrin, which led to a highly sensitive and stable amperometric biosensor for TCA with a linear range from 9.0×10^?7 to 1.4×10^?4 M . The detection limit was 3.8×10^?7 M at a signal‐to‐noise ratio of 3. The TCA biosensor had good analytical performance, such as rapid response, good reproducibility, and acceptable accuracy, and could be successfully used for the detection of residual TCA in polluted water. The functional composite in ionic liquid provides a facile way to not only obtain the direct electrochemistry of water‐insoluble porphyrin, but also construct novel biosensors for monitoring analytes in real environmental samples.     

Polyethylene glycol-based ultrasound-assisted extraction of magnolol and honokiol from Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis

In this study, a kind of green solvent named polyethylene glycol (PEG) was developed for the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of magnolol and honokiol from Cortex Magnoliae Officinalis. The effects of PEG molecular weight, PEG concentration, sample size, pH, ultrasonic power and extraction time on the extraction of magnolol and honokiol were investigated to optimise the extraction conditions. Under the optimal extraction conditions, the PEG-based UAE supplied higher extraction efficiencies of magnolol and honokiol than the ethanol-based UAE and traditional ethanol-reflux extraction. Furthermore, the correlation coefficient (R²), repeatability (relative standard deviation, n = 6) and recovery confirmed the validation of the proposed extraction method, which were 0.9993–0.9996, 3.1–4.6% and 92.3–106.8%, respectively.     

Atom transfer radical polymerization using activators regenerated by electron transfer of acrylonitrile in 1‐(1‐ethoxycarbonylethyl)‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophospate

Atom transfer radical polymerization using activators regenerated by electron transfer (ARGET ATRP) of acrylonitrile (AN) was first approached with 1‐(1‐ethoxycarbonylethyl)‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([ecemim][BF₄]) as reaction medium and tin(II) bis(2‐ethylhexanoate) (Sn(EH)₂) as reducing agent in the presence of air. When compared with in bulk, an obvious increase of polymer isotacticity was observed for ARGET ATRP of AN in 1‐(1‐ethoxycarbonylethyl)‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophospate ([ecemim][PF₆]), the reaction rate of ARGET ATRP of AN in [ecemim][PF₆] was higher and the polymerization process was better controlled. The block copolymer polyacrylonitrile‐block‐poly(methyl methacrylate) with molecular weight at 69,750, distribution at 1.34, and isotacticity at 0.36 was successfully obtained in [ecemim][PF₆]. [Ecemim][PF₆] and the catalyst system were recycled and reused and had no effect on the living nature of polymerization. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Volumetric and compressibility behaviour of ionic liquid, 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate and tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate in organic solvents at T = 298.15 K

Density and speed of sound measurements have been made on the systems containing the ionic liquid 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIM][PF₆]) and some organic solvents having a wide range of dielectric constants. Similar studies have been carried out for tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate ([TBA][PF₆]), which has common anion ([PF₆]⁻) with the studied ionic liquid. For the systems investigated, the apparent molar volumes and apparent molar isentropic compressibilities were determined and fitted to the Redlich–Mayer and the Pitzer equations from which the corresponding limiting values were obtained. These limiting values were used to obtain some information about ion–solvent interactions. Furthermore, using the ionic limiting apparent volume values for [TBA]⁺ from the literature and limiting apparent molar volume for the ionic liquid and [TBA][PF₆] obtained in this work, the ionic limiting apparent molar volume values for the cation [BMIM]⁺ in different organic solvents were also estimated.     

Room temperature ionic liquid as a novel medium for liquid/liquid extraction of metal ions

Room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) have been used as novel solvents to replace traditional volatile organic solvents in organic synthesis, solvent extraction, and electrochemistry. The hydrophobic character and water immiscibility of certain ionic liquids allow their use in solvent extraction of hydrophobic compounds. In this work, a typical room temperature ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [C₄mim][PF₆], was used as an alternative solvent to study liquid/liquid extraction of heavy metal ions. Dithizone was employed as a metal chelator to form neutral metal-dithizone complexes with heavy metal ions to extract metal ions from aqueous solution into [C₄mim][PF₆]. This extraction is possible due to the high distribution ratios of the metal complexes between [C₄mim][PF₆] and aqueous phase. Since the distribution ratios of metal dithiozonates between [C₄mim][PF₆] and aqueous phase are strongly pH dependent, the extraction efficiencies of metal complexes can be manipulated by tailoring the pH value of the extraction system. Hence, the extraction, separation, and preconcentraction of heavy metal ions with the biphasic system of [C₄mim][PF₆] and aqueous phase can be achieved by controlling the pH value of the extraction system. Preliminary results indicate that the use of [C₄mim][PF₆] as an alternate solvent to replace traditional organic solvents in liquid/liquid extraction of heavy metal ions is very promising.     

An Unusually Delocalized Mixed‐Valence State of a Cyanidometal‐Bridged Compound Induced by Thermal Electron Transfer

The heterometallic complexes trans ‐[Cp(dppe)FeNCRu(o ‐bpy)CNFe(dppe)Cp][PF₆]_n ( 1 [PF₆]_n , n =2, 3, 4; o ‐bpy=1,2‐bis(2,2′‐bipyridyl‐6‐yl)ethane, dppe=1,2‐bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane, Cp=1,3‐cyclopentadiene) in three distinct states have been synthesized and fully characterized. 1 ³⁺[PF₆]₃ and 1 ⁴⁺[PF₆]₄ are the one‐ and two‐electron oxidation products of 1 ²⁺[PF₆]₂, respectively. The investigated results suggest that 1 [PF₆]₃ is a Class II mixed valence compound. 1 [PF₆]₄ after a thermal treatment at 400 K shows an unusually delocalized mixed valence state of [Fe^III‐NC‐Ru^III‐CN‐Fe^II], which is induced by electron transfer from the central Ru^II to the terminal Fe^III in 1 [PF₆]₄, which was confirmed by IR spectroscopy, magnetic data, and EPR and Mössbauer spectroscopy.     

通过阳离子的部分氯化和氟化提高离子液体的憎水性

报道了一类咪唑环阳离子上同时含有氯和氟元素的新型离子液体,即 和 。这类离子液体是将其前驱体甲基丁基咪唑氯盐或甲基丁基咪唑六氟磷酸盐经过氯化取代和氟化取代反应来制备的。采用氢核磁共振谱（1H-NMR）确定了氯化反应过程中氯取代氢的位置,结果表明,氯主要取代咪唑环上的氢以及部分丁基侧链上甲基基团中的氢。考察了这类离子液体的水溶性,热稳定性以及黏度。结果表明,离子液体经氯化和氟化处理可以显著提高其憎水性。     

Comparison of two ultrasound‐enhanced microextractions combined with HPLC for determining acaricides in water

An ultrasound‐enhanced in situ solvent formation microextraction has been developed first time and compared with ultrasound‐enhanced ionic‐liquid‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for the HPLC analysis of acaricides in environmental water samples. A ionic liquid ([C₈MIM][PF₆]) was used as the green extraction solvent through two pathways. The experimental parameters, such as the type and volume of both of the extraction solvent disperser solvent, ultrasonication time, and salt addition, were investigated and optimized. The analytical performance using the optimized conditions proved the feasibility of the developed methods for the quantitation of trace levels of acaricides by obtaining limits of detection that range from 0.54 to 3.68 μg/L. The in situ solvent formation microextraction method possesses more positive characteristics than the ionic‐liquid‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method (except for spirodiclofen determination) when comparing the validation parameters. Both methods were successfully applied to determining acaricides in real water samples.     

A practical synthesis of 2‐aminobenzothiazoles via copper(I)‐catalyzed tandem reaction of 2‐iodoanilines with isothiocyanates in ionic liquids

A copper(I)‐catalyzed tandem reaction of 2‐iodoanilines with isothiocyanates was achieved in hydrophobic [bmim][PF₆] ionic liquid under mild conditions, generating a variety of 2‐aminobenzothiazoles in good to excellent yields. The tandem reaction that was carried out in [bmim][PF₆] has some obvious advantages such as accelerated reaction rate and increased yield as compared with the reaction run in volatile solvents such as toluene. Furthermore, the CuI/1,10‐phenanthroline catalytic system can be reused up to eight times without loss of activity and efficiency. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ionic Liquid‐Carbon Nanotube Modified Screen‐Printed Electrodes and Their Potential for Adsorptive Stripping Voltammetry

Compared with paraffin oil, the use of ionic liquids as a binder in carbon paste type electrodes was shown to greatly enhance the accumulation of analytes, as illustrated with 17α‐ethynylestradiol as a model. The ionic “liquid” n‐octyl‐pyridinium hexafluorophosphate [C₈py][PF₆] was most efficient among several ionic liquids investigated. Such preconcentration allowed a [C₈py][PF₆]‐multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) (95 : 5 w/w) composite electrode to be useful for adsorptive stripping voltammetry. Screen‐printed electrodes modified with [C₈py][PF₆]‐MWCNTs were developed and were able to achieve high sensitivity during adsorptive stripping voltammetric measurements under optimised conditions.     

d‐ Versus l‐Glucose Conjugation: Mitochondrial Targeting of a Light‐Activated Dual‐Mode‐of‐Action Ruthenium‐Based Anticancer Prodrug

Light‐activated ruthenium polypyridyl anticancer prodrugs often suffer from poor water solubility, poor selectivity, and/or ill‐defined intracellular targets. Coordination of the d ‐ or l ‐glucose thioether ligand 3 (2‐(2‐(2‐(methylthio)ethoxy)ethoxy)ethyl‐β‐glucopyranoside) to the highly lipophilic ruthenium complex [Ru(tpy)(dppn)(H₂O)]²⁺ ([ 1 ]²⁺; dppn=benzo[i]dipyrido‐[3,2‐a:2′,3′‐c]phenazine, tpy=2,2′:6′,2′′‐terpyridine) solved all these problems at once. The two enantiomers of [Ru(tpy)(dppn)( 3) ][PF₆]₂, [d ‐ 2 ][PF₆]₂ and [l ‐ 2 ][PF₆]₂, were soluble in water, which allowed the influence of the chirality of the glucose moiety on uptake, toxicity, and intracellular localization of the prodrug to be probed without changing any other physicochemical properties. Both compounds showed mild, but different, cytotoxicity in A549 (human lung carcinoma) and MCF‐7 (human breast adenocarcinoma) cancer cells in the dark, whereas following low doses of visible light irradiation (3.1 J cm^?2 at λ = 454 nm), a similar, but high cytotoxicity (EC₅₀ < 1 μm ), was observed. Irrespective of the chirality, both slightly emissive Ru complexes were found in the mitochondria, and two modes of action may contribute to light‐induced cell death: 1) the glucose thioether ligand is photosubstituted by water, thus [ 1 ]²⁺, which interacts with DNA at an exceptionally high 400:1 base pair/Ru ratio, is released; 2) both [ 1 ]²⁺ and [ 2 ]²⁺ produce massive amounts of singlet oxygen, which leads to very efficient photodynamic DNA cleavage.     

Ionic Liquid-Based Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Chlorogenic Acid from Lonicera japonica Thunb

Hydrophilic ionic liquid of [BMIM][BF₄] was successfully applied for the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of hydrophilic chlorogenic acid from Lonicera japonica Thunb. To explore this extraction procedure, the corresponding extraction parameters including the sample size, [BMIM][BF₄] concentration, pH, extraction temperature, ultrasonic power and extraction time were investigated. The results revealed that the [BMIM][BF₄]-based UAE efficiency of chlorogenic acid was higher than that of the ethanol-based UAE and the traditional refluent ethanol extraction. And the study on the method reliability further confirmed that the [BMIM][BF₄]-based UAE is suitable for the effective extraction of chlorogenic acid from honeysuckle.     

Acceleration of the Baylis–Hillman Reaction in the Presence of Ionic Liquids

The Baylis–Hillman reaction is accelerated in the presence of ionic liquids. Of various 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium (bmim)‐based ionic liquids tested, [bmim][PF₆] has been found to result in the highest rate increase. In the company of Lewis acid and H‐bond‐donor additives, the reaction rates further improve, albeit only modestly. A preparatively useful Baylis–Hillman procedure prescribes the use of [bmim][PF₆] with La(OTf)₃ and 2,2′2″‐nitrilotris[ethanol], in which the net effect of the ionic liquid is to bring about a more than twofold rate increase over the otherwise same reaction in MeCN.     

Temperature‐controlled ionic liquid‐dispersive liquid‐phase microextraction for preconcentration of chlorotoluron,diethofencarb and chlorbenzuron in water samples

This article describes a new, rapid and sensitive method for the determination of chlorotoluron, diethofencarb and chlorbenzuron from water samples with temperature‐controlled ionic liquid‐dispersive liquid‐phase microextraction. In the preconcentration procedure, ionic liquid 1‐hexyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [C₆MIM] [PF₆] was employed as the extraction solvent. The parameters, such as volume of [C₆MIM] [PF₆], sample pH, extraction time, centrifuging time, temperature and salting‐out effect, were investigated in detail. Under the optimal extraction conditions, it has been found that three analytes had excellent LODs (S/N=3) in the range of 0.04–0.43 μg/L. The RSDs (n=6) were in the range of 1.3–4.7%. The proposed method was evaluated with lake water, tap water and melted snow water samples. The experimental results indicated that the proposed method had excellent prospect and would be widely used in the future.     

Bimodal molecular weight distribution of poly(styrene‐co‐acrylonitrile) formed by conventional free‐radical copolymerization of acrylonitrile and styrene in room temperature ionic liquids

Conventional free‐radical copolymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) and styrene (St) was realized in room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs), 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([Bmim][BF₄]) and 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([Bmim][PF₆]), under mild conditions. The copolymerization in RTILs was more rapid than that in traditional solvent DMF. Poly(styrene‐co‐acrylonitrile) (SAN) prepared in RTILs had higher molecular weight than that prepared in DMF or by bulk copolymerization. SAN with bimodal molecular weight distribution (MWD) were obtained in most of the reaction conditions in [Bmim][BF₄] and some conditions in [Bmim][PF₆]. By the analysis of reaction phenomena and fluorescence behavior, the reason of the difference in MWD could be attributed to the difference of reaction system compatibility mainly caused by the immiscibility of macromolecule with RTIL. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 4420–4427, 2006     

Organic reactions in ionic liquids: Ionic liquid‐promoted efficient synthesis of N‐alkyl and N‐arylphthalimides

Phthalic anhydride reacts rapidly with Aromatic and aliphatic amines in ionic liquid [Bmim][PF₆] or [Bmim][BF₄] at 130 °C to give N‐aryl and N‐alkylphthalimides in excellent yields.