Charge transfer across the ionic liquid/oil interface: Facilitated ion transfer and electron transfer

Abstract

Facilitated ion transfer (FIT) and electron transfer (ET) across the ionic liquid (IL)/oil (O) interface between ethylamine nitrate (EAN) and 1,4-dichlorobutane (DCB) have been electrochemically studied. Cyclic voltammograms (CVs) for the FIT of Li+ cation in IL by dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 (DCH18C6) across the IL/O interface formed at a micropipette tip show that the onset of the FIT current is significantly shifted due to the facilitation beyond the potential window limit and that the current is proportional to the concentration of DCH18C6 in O limited by the diffusion of DCH18C6 inside the micropipette. CVs for the ET from supporting electrolyte anions in O to NO3−, the IL anion of EAN, across the IL/O interface studied using a closed-bipolar cell show that NO3− in EAN has an ability to oxidize tetraphenylborate ions in O but not tetrakis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate ions, the latter of which have more oxidation resistance.