Structures, properties and applications of bimetallic composite ionic liquids

Abstract

The bimetallic composite ionic liquids show excellent catalytic performances. The key lies in the synergy effect of the bimetallic centers. The interactions between bimetallic centers in metallic composite ionic liquids were studied on the basis of literature research. The relative molecular polarity index (MPIr) was proposed to quantitatively evaluate the interaction strength between bimetallic centers, and the three metal salts (CuCl, AgCl, ZrCl4) most likely to form bimetallic composite anions were screened out. X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) and density functional theory (DFT) were combined to reveal the structures of the bimetallic composite anions and the aggregation mechanism. The physical and chemical properties (density, viscosity, conductivity, glass transition temperature, acidity) of bimetallic composite ionic liquids were investigated, and the mechanism of the transition behaviors was discussed from the micro perspective. This study can provide reference for the further utilization of bimetallic composite ionic liquids in catalysis, separation and preparation of high-performance materials.