Aqueous biphasic systems: a boost brought about by using ionic liquids

During the past decade, ionic-liquid-based Aqueous Biphasic Systems (ABS) have been the focus of a significant amount of research. Based on a compilation and analysis of the data hitherto reported, this critical review provides a judicious assessment of the available literature on the subject. We evaluate the quality of the data and establish the main drawbacks found in the literature. We discuss the main issues which govern the phase behaviour of ionic-liquid-based ABS, and we highlight future challenges to the field. In particular, the effect of the ionic liquid structure and the various types of salting-out agents (inorganic or organic salts, amino acids and carbohydrates) on the phase equilibria of ABS is discussed, as well as the influence of secondary parameters such as temperature and pH. More recent approaches using ionic liquids as additives or as replacements for common salts in polymer-based ABS are also presented and discussed to emphasize the expanding number of aqueous two-phase systems that can actually be obtained. Finally, we address two of the main applications of ionic liquid-based ABS: extraction of biomolecules and other added-value compounds, and their use as alternative approaches for removing and recovering ionic liquids from aqueous media.     

Aqueous biphasic systems involving alkylsulfate-based ionic liquids

The specific effects of K₃PO₄, K₂CO₃, Na₂CO₃, and (NH₄)₂SO₄, as high charge-density inorganic salts and thus inducers of the formation of aqueous biphasic systems (ABS) containing several ethyl-methylimidazolium alkylsulfate ionic liquids, C₂MIM C_nSO₄ (n = 2, 4, 6, or 8), have been assessed at T = 298.15 K. The results are analyzed in the light of the Hofmeister series. The influence of different alkyl chain lengths in the anion, together with the ability of the selected inorganic salts to induce the formation of ABS, is discussed. Phase diagrams have been determined through turbidimetry, including tie lines assignments from mass phase ratios according to the lever – arm rule. The Merchuck equation was satisfactorily used to correlate the solubility curve.     

Aqueous biphasic systems composed of ionic liquid and fructose

Liquid–liquid equilibria data of the [Bmim]BF₄ + fructose + water system were determined at 298.15, 308.15, 31815 K. It was found that the liquid–liquid equilibria can be formed over a wide component range and the effect of the temperature on the phase equilibria is obvious within the fructose concentration changing from 3 to 40%. The binodal curves were correlated using a five-parameter equation, and the tie lines were fitted the Othmer–Tobias and Bancroft correlations. Correlation coefficients for the equations exceeded 0.99.     

Aqueous two-phase systems containing self-associating block copolymers. Partitioning of hydrophilic and hydrophobic biomolecules.

A series of proteins and one membrane-bound peptide have been partitioned in aqueous two-phase systems consisting of micelle-forming block copolymers from the family of Pluronic block copolymers as one polymer component and dextran T500 as the other component. The Pluronic molecule is a triblock copolymer of the type PEO-PPO-PEO, where PEO and PPO are poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(propylene oxide), respectively. Two different Pluronic copolymers were used, P105 and F68, and the phase diagrams were determined at 30 degrees C for these polymer systems. Since the temperature is an important parameter in Pluronic systems (the block copolymers form micellar-like aggregates at higher temperatures) the partitioning experiments were performed at 5 and 30 degrees C, to explore the effect of temperature-triggered micellization on the partitioning behaviour. The temperatures correspond to the unimeric (single Pluronic chain) and the micellar states of the P105 polymer at the concentrations used. The degree of micellization in the F68 system was lower than that in the P105 system, as revealed by the phase behaviour. A membrane-bound peptide, gramicidin D, and five different proteins were partitioned in the above systems. The proteins were lysozyme, bovine serum albumin, cytochrome c, bacteriorhodopsin and the engineered B domain of staphylococcal protein A, named Z. The Z domain was modified with tryptophan-rich peptide chains in the C-terminal end. It was found that effects of salt dominated over the temperature effect for the water-soluble proteins lysozyme, bovine serum albumin and cytochrome c. A strong temperature effect was observed in the partitioning of the integral membrane protein bacteriorhodopsin, where partitioning towards the more hydrophobic Pluronic phase was higher at 30 degrees C than at 5 degrees C. The membrane-bound peptide gramicidin D partitioned exclusively to the Pluronic phase at both temperatures. The following trends were observed in the partitioning of the Z protein. (i) At the higher temperature, insertion of tryptophan-rich peptides increased the partitioning to the Pluronic phase. (ii) At the lower temperature, lower values of K were observed for ZT2 than for ZT1.     

Aqueous biphasic systems formed by nonionic polymers I. Effects of inorganic salts on phase separation

The effect of salts KSCN, KI, KBr, KCl, KClO₄, KF, K₂SO₄ and NH₄Cl, LiCl, NaCl, KCl, CsCl on the binodials of the phase diagrams for aqueous biphasic dextranpolyvinylpyrrolidone, dextran-polyvinyl alcohol, dextran-ficoll and dextran-polyethylene glycol systems was studied. It is established that the K-salts present at the concentrations of 0.1 and 0.5 mol/kg alter the binodials of the phase diagrams for the above systems. The effect of a salt is found to be related to the lyotropy of the salt quantified by the salt molal surface tension increment. It is assumed that phase separation in an aqueous polymer biphasic system is affected by the presence of a salt mainly due to the effect of the salt on the structure and/or state of water in the system.     

New fluorous/organic biphasic systems achieved by solvent tuning

Miscibility tests between 60 pairs of fluorous and organic solvents have been performed, and a number of biphasic systems based on hydrofluoroether solvents have been identified. Mutual solubilities of a series of fluorous and organic solvents have been measured to ascertain the compositions of the biphasic systems. A qualitative solvent tuning strategy based on solvent polarity and fluorophilicity/phobicity is introduced. Solvent tuning is then used to modulate the partition coefficients (P) of triarylphosphines with 0-3 fluorous tags. The results lay a foundation for future applications of these and related biphasic systems in catalysis and extraction.     

Aqueous biphasic systems formed by nonionic polymers II. Concentration effects of inorganic salts on phase separation

Concentration effects of KSCN, KClO₄, KI, KBr, KNO₃, KCl, KF and K₂SO₄ on the compatibility of dextran with ficoll, polyvinylpyrrolidone and poly(ethylene glycol) at fixed polymer concentration ratios were studied in aqueous solution. The results obtained are considered in terms of the Patterson theory of-effect. It is assumed that phase separation in an aqueous solution of two nonionic polymers results from the appearance of two different water structures in the vicinity of the phase polymers. The data obtained are considered in terms of the concept of salting-in-salting-out effects of neutral salts on aqueous solubility of biopolymers. The salt effects observed are attributed to two antagonistic influences of salts on the electrostatic (dipole-dipole) polymer-water interactions and on the water-water interactions in the vicinity of the phase polymers.     

The pyrolytic identification of organic molecules: I. The pyrolytic behavior of organic molecules

Results of a study on the pyrolysis of about 70 organic compounds of varied composition are presented and discussed. Identification of the volatile products formed was accomplished by mass spectrometry. It is shown how the pyrolytic patterns may be employed to distinguish one molecule from another. Some attention has been given to isomeric compounds and to aromatic structures containing one or more functional groups.     

Hydrogen-bonded materials based on organic tautomeric molecules: Theoretical treatment

The crystalline Br, I and CH₃ derivatives of 9-hydroxyphenalenone (5X–9HPO) and their deuteroxy analogues (5X–9DPO) are treated by application of the Ising model approaches. The molecular field parameter (J₀) as well as the tunneling parameter (Ω) are evaluated for each material with the help of different quantum chemistry procedures. As our evaluations show both relations Ω(D)/J₀ and Ω(H)/J₀ are less than unity in the case of 5CH₃–9(H/D)PO derivatives that leads to an appearance of the low-temperature ordered (anti-ferroelectric) phase. A relatively small Ω(D)/J₀ (0.2–0.4) values derived in the case of 5Br– and 5I–9DPO imply the tendency to transition into the similar phase in these species. At the same time a rather large values of Ω(H)/J₀ (0.9–1.7) derived in the case of their hydroxy analogues speak in favor of their quantum paraelectric behavior. The obtained theoretical estimations and conclusions are compared with the available experimental data.     

pePC-SAFT: Modeling of polyelectrolyte systems 2. Aqueous two-phase systems

This work considers aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) containing one polymer-polyelectrolyte as well as one salt. To model the liquid-liquid equilibria (LLE) of these systems, the recently presented model pePC-SAFT has been employed. ATPS containing poly(acrylic acid) of different degrees of neutralization or poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), respectively, were considered. The binary interaction parameters used between water-poly(acrylic acid) and water-poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) were adjusted to vapor-liquid equilibrium (VLE) data of these systems. ATPS consisting of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)-water-sodium sulfate were predicted as function of temperature as well as of molar mass of the polymer. For poly(acrylic acid) systems, ATPS were predicted as function of charge density (degree of neutralization) for different types of salt. For these calculations, the polyelectrolyte model parameters were determined from the non-charged polymer whereas the effect of increasing charge density has been purely predicted by the model. Using this approach, it is possible to predict the shrinking of the liquid-liquid equilibrium region with increasing charging of the polyelectrolyte.     

Aqueous organic and redox-mediated redox flow batteries: a review

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are among the most investigated technologies for large-scale energy storage applications. Since the first commercialization of all-vanadium RFB (in the early 90s), the technology has evolved towards the development of new systems. This review focuses on three innovative concepts including aqueous organic RFB (AO-RFB), dual-circuit RFB and redox solid booster–based RFB. We will highlight the recent advances in the last five years and discuss the main challenges encountered. Particularly, we focused on the use of redox-mediated process to reach higher energy density than conventional RFB.     

Aqueous biphasic hydroformylation in the presence of cyclodextrins mixtures: evidence of a positive synergistic effect

Mixtures of randomly methylated cyclodextrins of various sizes have been evaluated in the rhodium-catalysed hydroformylation of higher olefins in an aqueous biphasic medium. A marked positive non-linear effect on 1-tetradecene conversion is observed when the CD molar ratio in the mixture is modified. The formation of 2:1 ternary inclusion complexes between RAME-CDs and the olefin is supposed to be responsible for the extra conversion observed.     

Partitioning in Aqueous Two-Phase Systems: Fundamentals,Applications and Trends

Over the last years, aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS) regained an increasing interest due to their potential in the downstream processing of biomolecules. After many years with only a few articles published, a lot of effort and work has been put into studying these systems for the partitioning of a range of compounds including proteins, organic low-molecular weight molecules or metal ions. Although several research and review articles appeared, a background review on ATPS partitioning fundamentals is needed. In this article, partitioning theories and main effects of several important factors for partitioning, such as molecular weight of the polymer, effect of added salts, pH, electrical charges, and temperature on phase diagrams, tie-line lengths, interfacial tension and settling time of the two aqueous phases are extensively reviewed. The trend in ATPS research is given compiling the recent 2008–2013 research articles published in the field.