Solute-solvent interactions in imidazolium camphorsulfonate ionic liquids

We directly observe the interaction between 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium (bmim) or 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium (bm(2)im) and the solute, ethyl acrylate (EA), which is the popular dienophile in the Diels-Alder reaction and an H-bonding acceptor, by using specially designed electrospray mass spectrometry. In imidazolium ionic liquids, cation-anion interactions are controlled by selecting the appropriate anion, and the naked C(2)-H of imidazolium, which loosely interacts with its counterion, can readily interact with an H-bonding acceptable solute. The ion-counterion (solvent-solvent) interaction affects the ion-solute (solvent-solute) interaction. This relation is one of the key criteria for selecting the cation-anion combination in tailoring ILs.