The Influence of Water Vapor on the Electrochemical Shift of an Ionic Liquid Measured by Ambient Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

Ionic liquids (ILs) are considered to be one of the steppingstones to fabricate next generation electrochemical devices given their unique physical and chemical properties. The addition of water to ILs significantly impact electrochemical related properties including viscosity, density, conductivity, and electrochemical window. Herein we utilize ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS) to examine the impact of water on values of the electrochemical shift (S), which is determined by measuring changes in binding energy shifts as a function of an external bias. APXPS spectra of C 1s, O 1s and N 1s regions are examined for the IL 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, [C₄mim][OAc], at the IL/gas interface as a function of both water vapor pressure and external bias. Results reveal that in the absence of water vapor there is an IL ohmic drop between the working electrode and quasi reference electrode, giving rise to chemical specific S values of less than one. Upon introducing water vapor, S values approach one as a function of increasing water vapor pressure, indicating a decrease in the IL ohmic drop as the IL/water mixture becomes more conductive and the potential drop is driven by the electric double layer at the electrode/IL interface.     

Combinatorial Chemistry for Ligand Development in Catalysis: Synthesis and Catalysis Screening of Peptidosulfonamide Tweezers on the Solid Phase

On the basis of a pyrrolidine tweezer 1, a library of peptidosulfonamide tweezers (15a-e, 16a-e) was synthesized on the solid phase. This library was screened in a simultaneous substrate screening procedure for the ability to enantioselectively catalyze the Ti(O-i-Pr)(4)-mediated addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes. One of the best solid-phase tweezer catalyst (i.e., 16d, giving an ee of 32% in solid-phase catalysis) was resynthesized in solution (compounds 20 and 21). The now homogeneous solution-phase catalysis showed even better enantioselectivity (i.e., up to 66%).