Interaction Of Ionic Liquids Research Articles

Wave mechanics in an ionic liquid mixture.

Experimental measurements of interactions in ionic liquids and concentrated electrolytes over the past decade or so have revealed simultaneous monotonic and oscillatory decay modes. These observations have been hard to interpret using classical theories, which typically allow for just one electrostatic decay mode in electrolytes. Meanwhile, substantial progress in the theoretical description of dielectric response and ion correlations in electrolytes has illuminated the deep connection between density and charge correlations and the multiplicity of decay modes characterising a liquid electrolyte. The challenge in front of us is to build connections between the theoretical expressions for a pair of correlation functions and the directly measured free energy of interaction between macroscopic surfaces in experiments. Towards this aim, we here present measurements and analysis of the interactions between macroscopic bodies across a fluid mixture of two ionic liquids of widely diverging ionic size. The measured oscillatory interaction forces in the liquid mixtures are significantly more complex than for either of the pure ionic liquids, but can be fitted to a superposition of two oscillatory and one monotonic mode with parameters matching those of the pure liquids. We discuss this empirical finding, which hints at a kind of wave mechanics for interactions in liquid matter.

Ordered patterns in electroactive polymer ionic liquid blends: effect of long range interactions.

Designing multifunctional soft materials via pattern formation has been a major challenge for scientists and engineers. Soft materials based on polymers are the perfect candidates for designing such materials as they are not only easy to handle, but also offer diverse combinations of mechanical and chemical properties. Here, we present a polymer-based ternary system and reveal, using modelling and simulations, the mechanisms for creating patterned surfaces. Specifically, we consider polymer ionic liquid (PIL) blends and demonstrate that exposure to a uniform electric field results in the formation of ordered patterns through phase separation. Our approach is based on reaction-diffusion phenomena and utilizes Poisson-Boltzmann-Nernst-Planck equations to capture the long-range interactions of ionic liquids in both weak and strong segregation limits. Furthermore, we elucidate that the ordered patterns in our PIL blend can be tuned by changing the direction of the electric field. From the structural characterization point of view, we reveal that the presence of the electric field significantly enhances the domain growth rate and their respective ordering in a remarkable fashion. We believe this non-invasive technique is a significant step towards the development of ordered structures at microscopic length scales and can be utilized for micro-scale fabrication from soft materials.

Ionic Liquid Initiated Corrosion Products on Steel

Ionic liquids (ILs ) are achieving great interest as electrically addressable lubricants. The demands of lubrication of inaccessible systems, such as wind turbines, coupled with the lubrication paradigm shift engendered by electric vehicles makes IL lubricant additives extremely attractive. The interaction of ILs with steel surfaces and initiation of corrosion need to be urgently addressed, since ILs are in principle organic salts, and water is ubiquitous , even at ppm levels. In this study we have applied a set of surface sensitive advanced techniques, such as Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), Confocal Raman Microscopy, Nano-IR and FTIR microscopy as well as scattering GISAXS, to investigate the formed corrosion products in tribo films containing designer ionic liquids at steel surfaces. The trihexyl-(tetradecyl)phosphonium-bis(oxalato)borate [P6,6,6,14][BOB] ionic liquid and a specially deposited AISI 52100 steel were used in this study. The IL breakdown and various surface-formed corrosion products were imaged and analyzed. The formation of iron oxides and various borate and phosphate-containing products, and their interrelation, is observed and mechanistically discussed.

Enhancing Lithium-Sulfur Battery Performance by MXene, Graphene, and Ionic Liquids: A DFT Investigation.

The efficacy of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries crucially hinges on the sulfur immobilization process, representing a pivotal avenue for bolstering their operational efficiency and durability. This dissertation primarily tackles the formidable challenge posed by the high solubility of polysulfides in electrolyte solutions. Quantum chemical computations were leveraged to scrutinize the interactions of MXene materials, graphene (Gr) oxide, and ionic liquids with polysulfides, yielding pivotal binding energy metrics. Comparative assessments were conducted with the objective of pinpointing MXene materials, with a specific focus on d-Ti3C2 materials, evincing augmented binding energies with polysulfides and ionic liquids demonstrating diminished binding energies. Moreover, a diverse array of Gr oxide materials was evaluated for their adsorption capabilities. Scrutiny of the computational outcomes unveiled an augmentation in the solubility of selectively screened d-Ti3C2 MXene and ionic liquids-vis à vis one or more of the five polysulfides. Therefore, the analysis encompasses an in-depth comparative assessment of the stability of polysulfide adsorption by d-Ti3C2 MXene materials, Gr oxide materials, and ionic liquids across diverse ranges.

Combined Spectroscopic, Thermodynamic, and Theoretical Approach for Detecting and Quantifying Hydrogen Bonding and Dispersion Interaction in Ionic Liquids.

ConspectusIonic liquids (ILs) are attracting increasing interest in science and engineering due to their unique properties that can be tailored for specific applications. Clearly, a better understanding of their behavior on the microscopic scale will help to elucidate macroscopic fluid phenomena and thereby promote potential applications. The advantageous properties of these innovative fluids arise from the delicate balance of Coulomb interactions, hydrogen bonding, and dispersion forces. The development of these properties requires a fundamental understanding of the strength, location, and direction of the different types of interactions and their contribution to the overall phase behavior. Contrary to expectations, hydrogen bonding and dispersion interactions have a significant influence on the structure, dynamics, and phase behavior of ILs.The synergy between experimental and theoretical methods has now advanced to a stage where hydrogen bonds and dispersion effects as well as the competition between the two can be studied in detail. In this account, we demonstrate that a suitable combination of spectroscopic, thermodynamic, and theoretical methods enables the detection, dissection, and quantification of noncovalent interactions, even in complex systems such as ionic liquids. This approach encompasses far-infrared vibrational spectroscopy (FIR), various thermodynamic methods for determining enthalpies of vaporization, and quantum chemical techniques that allow us to switch dispersion contributions on or off when calculating the energies and spectroscopic properties of clusters.We briefly discuss these experimental and theoretical methods, before providing various examples illustrating how the mélange of Coulomb interaction, hydrogen bonds, and dispersion forces can be analyzed, and their individual contributions quantified. First, we demonstrated that both hydrogen bonding and dispersion interactions are manifested in the FIR spectra and can be quantified by observed shifts of characteristic spectral signatures. Through the selection of suitable protic ionic liquids (PILs) featuring anions with varying interaction strengths and alkyl chain lengths, we were able to demonstrate that dispersion interactions can compete with hydrogen bonding. The resultant transition enthalpy serves as a measure of the dispersion interaction. Contrary to expectations, PILs possess lower enthalpies of vaporization compared with aprotic ILs (AILs). The reason for this is simple: In protic ILs, ion pairs carry both the hydrogen bond and attractive dispersion between the cation and anion into the gas phase. By utilizing a well-curated set of protic ILs and molecular analogues, we successfully disentangled Coulomb interaction, hydrogen bonding, and dispersion interaction through purely thermodynamic methods.

Fluorescence based studies on the interaction and characterization of surface-active ionic liquids with polarity sensitive intramolecular charge transfer probe

Surface-active ionic liquids (SAILs) are of tremendous interest in recent times due to their improved application in the field of food, detergent, and health. The modulated fluorescence behavior of an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) probe, trans‐ethyl‐p‐(dimethylamino) cinnamate (EDAC), in presence of five different SAILs with varying head groups (viz. imidazolium, pyridinium, and morpholinium) and different alkyl chain length (decyl, dodecyl, and tetradecyl) was monitored by steady state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. Extreme sensitivity of EDAC fluorescence was used to characterize different physicochemical properties of the SAILs, including critical micelle concentration, static polarity, and empirical solvent polarity scale, ET(30) of the microenvironment. The estimated parameters are in good agreement with the literature reports and measured independently from other complimentary experiments discussed here. Time‐resolved fluorescence experiments show a significant retardation in different nonradiative decay channels of EDAC, when compared to that in aqueous phase, indicating a preferential association of the probe in presence of SAILs. The results indicate that the physicochemical properties of SAILs can be tuned by controlling the nature of both the cations and as well as the chain length of the alkyl group. These properties also show significant modulation in solutions with varying SAIL concentration, particularly in the pre- and post-micellar region. The results, particularly the surface-active properties and the self-assembly behavior presented in this study, are expected to provide new knowledge towards the design and development of novel SAILs with specific industrial and biological applications.

Adsorption of Choline Phenylalanilate on Polyaromatic Hydrocarbon-Shaped Graphene and Reaction Mechanism with CO2: A Computational Study.

The interaction of ionic liquids (ILs) with carbon materials is of fundamental importance in several areas of materials science, physics, and chemistry. Their adsorption on pristine and N-doped graphene surfaces is discussed here on the basis of results of density functional theory calculations. The nature of adsorption was investigated for an amino acid (AA)-based IL consisting of the choline cation [Ch] and the l-phenylalanilate anion [Phe] that interacts with a sheet of N-doped graphene. The interaction mechanism, binding energy, electron density, and non-covalent interaction analysis were evaluated by considering the cation, anion, and ion pair adsorbed on graphene separately. The distribution of cations and anions in the liquid bulk and on the graphene surface was then analyzed by molecular dynamics simulations. Since AA-based ILs are efficient absorbents for capture of CO2 due to the pronounced affinity of carbon dioxide to react with amino groups, we investigated the capacity of [Ch][Phe] to react with CO2 under various conditions. We considered the multistep mechanism of the reaction of [Phe] with CO2 first for the anion in the liquid bulk and then for the [Phe] anion adsorbed on the graphene surface. The initial step, the formation of the zwitterionic addition product, is followed by its structural rearrangement through intramolecular proton transfer and conformational isomerization processes to form carboxylic acid derivatives. The entire mechanism was evaluated for the [Phe] anion before and after adsorption on graphene to investigate how interactions with surfaces of carbon materials can affect the CO2 capture capacity of an AA-based IL such as [Ch][Phe].

Molecular dynamics investigation on the interaction of nitrile-based ionic liquids in the separation of azeotropic refrigerant R-513A

The reclamation of mixed refrigerants stands as a potent measure to substantially mitigate the emission of fluorinated gases (F-gases). In the separation of the azeotropic refrigerant R-513A (comprising 56 wt% R-1234yf, 2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoropropene, and 44 wt% R-134a, 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane), the extractive distillation process using ionic liquids (ILs) was employed. The molecular structure of nitrile-based ILs ([C4C1im][SCN], [C4C1im][N(CN)2], [C4C1im][C(CN)3], [C4C1im][B(CN)4]) exerts a regular impact on the solubility of refrigerants, thereby necessitating molecular dynamics simulation to ascertain the law of refrigerant solubility in ILs concurrent with the augmentation in the number of –CN in the anion. Additionally, an analysis was conducted to elucidate the mechanism underlying the high selectivity of nitrile-based ILs. The results revealed pronounced interactions between R-1234yf and R-134a, predominantly occurring between carbon atoms (-CF3 groups in R-134a and R-1234yf), and chiefly van der Waals interactions. An enhancement in the number of –CN in anion led to the fortification of the van der Waals interaction between R-134a/R-1234yf and the anion. The stronger nonbonding interaction energy between R-134a and the anion, as well as the higher radial distribution function (RDF) peak height between R-134a and the anion, signified a more robust interaction between R-134a and the anion compared to R-1234yf and the anion. Concurrently, the variance in the RDFs in the anion-C atom (-CH2F group in R-134a and -CF group in R-1234yf) revealed the selectivity of the four ILs to R-134a and R-1234yf. Among the four anions, [B(CN)4]− exhibited the most interaction sites with R-134a. This investigation contributes significantly to comprehending the interaction mechanism of azeotropic refrigerants and the interaction mechanism between refrigerants and nitrile-based ILs.

Ion Mobility in Hydroxy-Functionalized Ionic Liquids Depends on Cationic Clustering: Tracking the Alkyl Chain Length Behavior with Deuteron NMR Relaxation.

Observing and quantifying the like-charge attraction in liquids and solutions is still challenging. However, we showed that elusive cation-cation hydrogen bonding may govern the structure and interaction in hydroxyl-functionalized ionic liquids. Therefore, cationic cluster formation depends on the shape, charge distribution, and functionality of the ions. We demonstrated by means of solid-state 2H NMR spectroscopy that cationic clusters change the structure and dynamics of ionic liquids. With increasing alkyl chain length, we observed two deuteron quadrupole coupling constants for the OD groups, differing by about 30 kHz. The lower value was assigned to the cation-cation interaction, indicating that the average (c-c) hydrogen bonds are stronger than the (c-a) hydrogen bonds between the cation and the anion despite the repulsive and attractive Coulomb interaction in the first and latter cases. Ion mobility could be studied by 2H NMR spectroscopy, although the deuterons in the hydrogen-bonded clusters underwent fast exchange. Our results also showed that simple relaxation models are not applicable anymore and that anisotropic motion must be considered.

Comparative analysis of interaction of ionic liquids with porous and non-porous electrode materials

Fascinating properties of ionic liquids such as their higher ionic conductivity, lower vapor pressure, high thermal and electrochemical stability, make them promising candidates as electrolytes for novel energy storage devices. Interaction of ionic liquids (ILs) as electrolytes with electrode is crucial for optimizing the efficiency of energy storage devices. Herein, we report the interaction mechanism of ionic liquids 1-3 dimethylimidazolium halide (1,3-DMIX) on porous covalent triazine frameworks (CTF-0) and non-porous carbon nitride (C4N) electrode materials. Molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) analysis is performed for the prediction of interacting sites on studied electrolytes and electrode materials. Significant changes in geometric and electronic parameters are observed upon interaction of ionic liquid electrolytes with C4N and CTF-0. The nature of interaction between ionic liquids and electrode surfaces is evaluated through Quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) and non-covalent index (NCI) analyses which reveal that there exist only the non-covalent interactions (van der Waals) between them. Frontier molecular orbitals (FMO) analysis shows a significant decrease in energy gap upon interaction of ILs with CTF-0, which results in increase in electrical conductivity. Overall, porous CTF-0 electrode material displays greater interaction with the considered ILs as compared to non-porous C4N electrode material. This study will provide a way for experimentalist to explore ionic liquids and carbon nitride or covalent triazine framework as electrolyte–electrode systems which can be used further in energy storage devices like fuel cells, solar cells, ion batteries, and supercapacitors.

Hydrogen-Bonded Complexes in Binary Mixture of Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids with Organic Solvents.

Though local structures in ionic liquids are dominated by strong Coulomb forces, directional hydrogen bonds can also influence the physicochemical properties of imidazolium-based ionic liquids. In particular, the C-2 position of the imidazolium cation is acidic and can bind with suitable hydrogen bond acceptor sites of molecular solvents dissolved in imidazolium-based ionic liquids. In this report, we identify hydrogen-bonded microenvironments of the model ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tris(pentafluoroethyl) trifluorophosphate, and the changes that occur when molecular solvents are dissolved in it by using a C-D infrared reporter at the C-2 position of the cation. Our linear and nonlinear infrared experiments, along with computational studies, indicate that the molecular solvent dimethyl sulfoxide can form strong hydrogen-bonded dimers with the cation of the ionic liquid at the C-2 position. In contrast, acetone, which is also a hydrogen bond acceptor similar to dimethyl sulfoxide, does not show evidence of cation-solvent hydrogen-bonded conformers at the C-2 position. The outcome of our study on a broad scale strengthens the importance of cation-solute interactions in ionic liquids.

Unveiling the Three-Step Model for the Interaction of Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids on Albumin.

The effect of the ionic liquids (ILs) 1-methyl-3-tetradecylimidazolium chloride ([C14MIM][Cl]), 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C12MIM][Cl]), and 1-decyl-methylimidazolium chloride ([C10MIM][Cl]) on the structure of bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Concerning the fluorescence measurements, we observed a blue shift and a fluorescence quenching as the IL concentration increased in the solution. Such behavior was observed for all three studied imidazolium-based ILs, being larger as the number of methylene groups in the alkyl chain increased. UV-vis absorbance measurements indicate that even at relatively small IL/protein ratios, like 1:1 or 1:2, ([C14MIM][Cl]) is able to change, at least partially, the sample turbidity. SAXS results agree with the spectroscopic techniques and suggest that the proteins underwent partial unfolding, evidenced by an increase in the radius of gyration (Rg) of the scattering particle. In the absence and presence of ([C14MIM][Cl]) = 3 mM BSA Rg increases from 29.1 to 45.1 Å, respectively. Together, these results indicate that the interaction of BSA with ILs is divided into three stages: the first stage is characterized by the protein in its native form. It takes place for protein/IL ≤ 1:2, and the interaction is predominantly due to the electrostatic forces provided by the negative charges on the surface of BSA and the cationic polar head of the ILs. In the second stage, higher IL concentrations induce the unfolding of the protein, most likely inducing the unfolding of domains I and III, in such a way that the protein's secondary structure is kept almost unaltered. In the last stage, IL micelles start to form, and therefore, the interaction with protein reaches a saturation point and free micelles may be formed. We believe that this work provides new information about the interaction of ILs with BSA.

Tuneable interphase transitions in ionic liquid/carrier systems via voltage control

The structure and interaction of ionic liquids (ILs) influence their interfacial composition, and their arrangement (i.e., electric double-layer (EDL) structure), can be controlled by an electric field. Here, we employed a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) to study the electrical response of two non-halogenated phosphonium orthoborate ILs, dissolved in a polar solvent at the interface. The response is influenced by the applied voltage, the structure of the ions, and the solvent polarizability. One IL showed anomalous electro-responsivity, suggesting a self-assembly bilayer structure of the IL cation at the gold interface, which transitions to a typical EDL structure at higher positive potential. Neutron reflectivity (NR) confirmed this interfacial structuring and compositional changes at the electrified gold surface. A cation-dominated self-assembly structure is observed for negative and neutral voltages, which abruptly transitions to an anion-rich interfacial layer at positive voltages. An interphase transition explains the electro-responsive behaviour of self-assembling IL/carrier systems, pertinent for ILs in advanced tribological and electrochemical contexts.

Solvent Effects on the 1H-NMR Chemical Shifts of Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids.

The 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectrum is a useful tool for characterizing the hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) interactions in ionic liquids (ILs). As the main hydrogen bond (H-bond) donor of imidazolium-based ILs, the chemical shift (δH2) of the proton in the 2-position of the imidazolium ring (H2) exhibits significant and complex solvents, concentrations and anions dependence. In the present work, based on the dielectric constants (ε) and Kamlet-Taft (KT) parameters of solvents, we identified that the δH2 are dominated by the solvents polarity and the competitive H-bonding interactions between cations and anions or solvents. Besides, the solvents effects on δH2 are understood by the structure of ILs in solvents: 1) In diluted solutions of inoizable solvents, ILs exist as free ions and the cations will form H-bond with solvents, resulting in δH2 being independent with anions but positively correlated with βS. 2) In diluted solutions of non-ionzable solvents, ILs exist as contact ion-pairs (CIPs) and H2 will form H-bond with anions. Since non-ionizable solvents hardly influence the H-bonding interactions between H2 and anions, the δH2 are not related to βS but positively correlated with βIL.

Accurate modelling of pyrrolidinium ionic liquids with charge and vdW scaling

Molecular simulation as a complementing tool to experimental measurements has grown to be an instrument with predictive power for ionic liquids (ILs) derivatives. The combination of molecule-specific atomic charges generated with ab initio calculations and bonded and vdW parameters extracted from pre-fitted transferable force fields serves as the common practice in this field. Charge scaling is often applied to account for charge transfer and polarization effects and the scaling factor 0.8 has been concluded as a near-optimal solution in many scientific reports based on detailed analyses of various structural and thermodynamic observables. However, for ILs from the pyrrolidinium family investigated in the current work, we show that the charge scaling treatment cannot really minimize the experiment-simulation deviations to an acceptable level, which calls for further parameter adjustment. Following the modelling protocol summarized in our previous works, we tune the vdW radius of ILs-forming ions with a 298 K density scan and secure a parameter set that satisfactorily reproduces not only the room-temperature properties but also the mass densities in a large temperature range from 288 K to 348 K. The slopes of the vdW-scaling profiles are between −1.9 g/cm3 and −1.6 g/cm3, which are similar to quinuclidinium ILs investigated in our previous work. This phenomenon suggests the similarity of responding behaviors of the two ILs family during vdW scaling, and this range of response strengths could possibly be representative for ILs vdW scaling. Aside from bulk solvents, we further consider the interaction of ILs with a series of external organic agents. Following the previously accumulated experience, a slightly modified vdW scaling factor is picked as an option balancing different interactions within the heterogeneous solution. Nonequilibrium alchemical free energy calculations are conducted to compute solvation free energies in ILs and also the distribution (partition) behaviors of solutes between aqueous and ILs phases. The computed physiochemical properties involving pyrrolidinium ILs agree well with the experimental reference. Another feature of the selected pyrrolidinium ILs is the systematic variation of the length of the alkyl substituting chain, which enables a direct investigation of the chain-length dependence of the prediction accuracies for both bulk density and solvation/partition thermodynamics. Interestingly, with the chain-length variation, the error of bulk density exhibits a monotonic response, while a fluctuating (non-monotonic) behavior is observed for prediction errors of solvation and partition thermodynamics, which is related to the diverse features of solute-solvent interactions. Therefore, the observed behaviors of the properties of bulk solvents cannot be generalized to the solvation/partition behaviors of the same solvent, and accurate reproductions of bulk behaviors do not guarantee accurate calculations of solvation and partition thermodynamics.

Cholesterol-Controlled Interaction of Ionic Liquids with Model Cellular Membranes.

While ionic liquids (ILs) are considered as prospective ingredients of new antimicrobial agents, it is important to understand the adverse effects of these molecules on human cells. Since cholesterol is the essential component of a human cell membrane, in the present study, the effect of an imidazolium-based IL has been investigated on the model membrane in the presence of cholesterol. The area per sphingomyelin lipid is found to reduce in the presence of the IL, which is quantified by the area-surface pressure isotherm of the lipid monolayer formed at the air-water interface. The effect is considerably diminished in the cholesterol-containing monolayer. Further, the IL is observed to decrease the rigidity of the cholesterol-free monolayer. Interestingly, the presence of cholesterol does not allow any change in this property of the layer at lower surface pressure. However, at a higher surface pressure, the IL increases the elasticity in the cholesterol-induced condensed phase of the lipid layer. The X-ray reflectivity measurement on a stack of cholesterol-free lipid bilayers proved the formation of IL-induced phase-separated domains in the matrix of a pure lipid phase. These domains are found to be formed by interdigitating the chains of the lipids, producing a thinner membrane. Such a phase is less intense in the cholesterol-containing membrane. All of these results indicate that the IL molecules may deform the cholesterol-free membrane of a bacterial cell, but the same may not be harmful to human beings as cholesterol could restrict the insertion in the cellular membrane of a human cell.

Loosely bonded dual-functionalized ionic liquid-based phase change solvent for energy-saving CO2 capture

A phase change solvent based on a novel loosely bonded dual-functionalized ionic liquids (ILs) containing diethylenetriamine (DETA) and 1-methylimidazole (1-MI), namely [DETA][1-MI], was developed. The strong anion–cation interactions in an ILs inhibited the CO2–ILs interaction and decrease the absorption capacity of the ILs. The weak interaction of [DETA][1-MI] retained most of the absorption capacity of DETA and 1-MI (up to 2.06 mol CO2/mol ILs). When simulated flue gas was fed into the [DETA][1-MI] + dimethylformamide (DMF) + H2O phase change solvent, the CO2-rich phase had a CO2 concentration of up to 6.51 mol CO2/L and a volume ratio of 42.2%. Moreover, a regeneration efficiency of > 90% was maintained even after three regeneration cycles at 393 K. The corresponding regeneration heat (1.40 GJ/ton CO2) was only 36.8% of 30 wt% monoethanolamine (MEA, 3.80 GJ/ton CO2). To the best of our knowledge, it’s well below the reported regeneration energy of amine-based absorbents. In addition, the corrosion rates of the rich and lean phases were only 0.58% and 0.51% of those of the saturated MEA solution, indicating that the corrosivity of [DETA][1-MI] + DMF + H2O was negligible. Moreover, [1-MI]− was observed to promote the formation of m-DETACOO− and HCO3−/CO32−, further enhancing the CO2 absorption capacity. Therefore, the proposed [DETA][1-MI] + DMF + H2O was verified to be a promising absorbent with favorable absorption properties, a low corrosion rate, high cyclic stability, and superior energy efficiency for CO2 capture.

Theoretical and Experimental Studies of 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium Methanesulfonate Ionic Liquid

The intimidating level of anthropogenic CO2 in the atmosphere responsible for global warming and erratic weather conditions needs to be addressed on a priority basis. Different kinds of materials were used to capture CO2 to curtail the alarming and drastic effects of global warming. An ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium methanesulfonate [C4mim][CH3SO3] was chosen, owing to its unique and efficient characteristics required for CO2 capture. Thermos-physical characteristics such as sigma surface, sigma profile, and sigma potential are calculated from the COSMO-RS model independent of any kind of experimental or coefficient data as an input. The mandatory information required for the interaction of IL with CO2 was obtained from this model. The COSMO-RS model depends upon unimolecular quantum chemical analysis associated with statistical thermodynamics, molecular structure, and conformation. The structural confirmation of [C4mim][CH3SO3] IL was performed by FTIR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR spectroscopic methods. Spectrochemical properties are calculated by FTIR, NMR, UV-visible, and fluorescence. Maximum CO2 solubility performed at room temperature (RT) and 45 bar was found to be ~2.7 mmol/g. The uptake of CO2 indicates the presence of sulphur-functionalized anions and bulky alkyl groups in IL’s significant affinity towards CO2. According to hysteresis-based classification, CO2 sorption and desorption follows type H3 classification, which indicates the presence of microporous and mesoporous in the IL sample. The effect of functionalized anions and alkyl groups on CO2 capture is highlighted in this study. The present study is aimed at providing a detailed overview related to theoretical and experimental study and application in terms of CO2 capture of IL.

Molecular Insights into the Binding Behavior of Imidazolium Ionic Liquids to the Receptor Binding Domain of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein.

The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is considered as a key target for the design and development of COVID-19 drugs and inhibitors. Due to their unique structure and properties, ionic liquids (ILs) have many special interactions with proteins, showing great potential in biomedicine. Nevertheless, few research studies have been carried out on ILs and the spike RBD protein. Here, we explore the interaction of ILs and the RBD protein through large-scale molecular dynamics simulations (4 μs in total). It was found that IL cations with long alkyl chain lengths (nchain) could spontaneously bind to the cavity region of the RBD protein. The longer the alkyl chain is, the stabler the cations bind to the protein. The binding free energy (ΔG) had the same trend, peaking at nchain = 12 with -101.19 kJ/mol. The cationic chain lengths and their fit to the pocket are decisive factors that influence the binding strength of cations and proteins. The cationic imidazole ring has a high contact frequency with phenylalanine and tryptophan, and the hydrophobic residues phenylalanine, valine, leucine, and isoleucine are the most interacting residues with side chains of cations. Meanwhile, through analysis of the interaction energy, the hydrophobic and π-π interactions are the main contributors to the high affinity between cations and the RBD protein. In addition, the long-chain ILs would also act on the protein through clustering. These studies not only provide insights into the molecular interaction between ILs and the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 but also contribute to the rational design of IL-based drugs, drug carriers, and selective inhibitors as a therapeutic for SARS-CoV-2.

Photocatalytic effects on Au@TiO2 confined in BMIm.NTf2 ionic liquid for hydrogen evolution reactions

We report a photocatalytic device based on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs/TiO2) coated with an ionic liquid (IL) as a very active, stable, and versatile system for hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs) via methanol photo reforming (MPR) and photocatalytic water-splitting (WSR) reaction. The devices prepared by magnetron sputtering yield hybrid materials with direct Au–TiO2 interactions that were subsequently coated with BMIm.NTf2 (IL@Au@TiO2). The IL presence critically enhances the photocatalytic performance given its interaction with the AuNPs and TiO2 surfaces by decreasing the flat band energy levels and the Schottky barrier thickness. The results show an increase in the number of charge carriers yielding a capacitor-like effect generated by interactions of IL and Au@TiO2 particles. Apparent quantum yield (AQY) up to 28.3% under UV irradiation (365 nm) and 22.9% at 405 nm irradiation were observed in the HER employing the as-prepared materials.