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During the manufacturing of pharmaceutical compounds, solvent mixtures are commonly used, where the addition of a cosolvent allows for the tuning of the intermolecular interactions present in the system. Here we demonstrate how a similar effect can be accomplished using a room temperature ionic liquid. The pharmaceutical compound acetaminophen is studied in 21 common ionic liquids composed of a 1-n-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cation with 1 of 7 anions. Using the acetate anion, we predict a large enhancement in solubility of acetaminophen relative to water. We show how this is caused by a synergistic effect of favorable interactions between the ionic liquid and the phenyl, hydroxyl and amide groups of acetaminophen, demonstrating how the ionic liquid cation and anion may be chosen to preferentially solvate different functional groups of complex pharmaceutical compounds. Additionally, while the use of charge scaling in ionic liquid force fields has previously been found to have a minute effect on ionic liquid structural properties, we find it appreciably affects the computed solvation free energy of acetaminophen, which in turn affects the predicted solubility.

The hydrogen ion is one of the most important species in aqueous solutions, as well as in protic ionic liquids (PILs). PILs are important potential alternatives to H2O for swelling the proton exchange membranes (PEMs) and improving the high-temperature performance of fuel cells. The hydrogen ion (H(+)) or hydronium (H3O(+)) solvation mechanism is not only a fundamental principle of acid/base chemistry in ionic liquids but also key to understanding the charge- and proton-transport properties of the PIL solutions. In this paper, a PIL system was prepared by mixing 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BMIBF4) IL with an aqueous solution of a strong acid, HBF4. Water can be partially evaporated from the solution under a vacuum at room temperature. Conductivity and vibrational spectroscopy (IR and Raman) measurements were used in combination with density functional theory (DFT) calculations to characterize the molecular-level solvation of H(+) and H2O in the IL solution. When water is present at high molar fraction, the cations (BMI(+) and H(+)) and anions (BF4(-)) are both solvated by water and the solutions have high conductivity. After water evaporation, the PIL solution has excess H(+) and reduced conductivity, which is still significantly higher than that of pure BMIBF4. Vibrational spectroscopy suggests that the BMI(+) and BF4(-) ions are desolvated from water during the water evaporation. DFT calculations assist the interpretation of the vibrational spectroscopy and show that the remaining water is in the form of H3O(+) solvated by the IL molecular ions. Hence, the species remaining after evaporation is a ternary PIL consisting of BMI(+) cation, BF4(-) anion, and H3O(+) cation. The H3O(+) may be the principle charge carrier in the PIL solution and responsible for the high solution conductivity.

Protic ionic liquids (PILs) are promising alternatives to water for swelling Nafion as a fuel cell proton exchange membrane (PEM). PILs can significantly improve the high-temperature performance of a PEM. The proton dissociation and solvation mechanisms in a PIL, which are keys to understanding the proton transportation and conductivity, have not been fully explored. In this paper, we used FTIR, Raman, and electronic spectroscopy with computational simulation techniques to explore the spectroscopic properties of bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (HTFSI) solutions in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (BMITFSI) ionic liquid at concentrations from ∼0.1 to as high as ∼1.0 M. Solution conductivities were measured at room temperature and elevated temperatures up to ∼65 °C. The solution structure and properties depend on the concentration of HTFSI. At lower concentration, around 0.1 M, the HTFSI solution has higher conductivity than pure BMITFSI. However, the conductivity decreases when the concentration increases from 0.1 to 1.0 M. Temperature-dependent conductivities followed the Vogel-Fulcher-Tamman equation at all concentrations. Conductivity and spectroscopy results elucidate the complicated ionization and solvation mechanism of HTFSI in BMITFSI solutions. Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) calculations are consistent with the complete ionization of HTFSI to generate solvated H(+) at low concentrations. FTIR, Raman, and electronic spectroscopic results as well as DFT computational simulation indicated that when the concentration is as high as 1.0 M, a significant amount of TFSI(-) is protonated, most likely at the imide nitrogen.

The present paper reports the results of a systematic rheological study of the dynamic moduli of 1-butyl 3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([Bmim][BF(4)]), 1-butyl 3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([Bmim][PF(6)]), and 1-ethyl 3-methylimidazolium ethylsulfate ([Emim][EtSO(4)]) in the vicinity of their respective glass transition temperatures. The results show an anomalous aging in that the dynamic and the low shear rate viscosities decrease with time at temperatures near to, but above, the glass transition temperature, and this is described. The samples that are aged into equilibrium obey the time-temperature superposition principle, and the shift factors and the viscosities follow classic super-Arrhenius behaviors with intermediate fragility values as the glass transition is approached. Similar experiments using a high-purity [Bmim][BF(4)] show that using a higher purity of the ionic liquid, while changing absolute values of the properties, does not eliminate the anomalous aging response. The data are also analyzed in a fashion similar to that used for polymer melts, and we find that these ionic liquids do not follow, for example, the Cox-Merz relationship between the steady shear viscosity and the dynamic viscosity.

In the present paper, the electrodeposition of Al on flame-annealed Au(111) and polycrystalline Au substrates in two air- and water-stable ionic liquids namely, 1-butyl-1-methyl-pyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide, [Py(1,4)]Tf(2)N, and 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)amide, [EMIm]Tf(2)N, has been investigated by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM), and cyclic voltammetry. The cyclic voltammogram of aluminum deposition and stripping on Au(111) in the upper phase of the biphasic mixture of AlCl(3)/[EMIm]Tf(2)N at room temperature (25 degrees C) shows that the electrodeposition process is completely reversible as also evidenced by in situ STM and EQCM studies. Additionally, a cathodic peak at an electrode potential of about 0.55 V vs Al/Al(III) is correlated to the aluminum UPD process that was evidenced by in situ STM. A surface alloying of Al with Au at the early stage of deposition occurs. It has been found that the Au(111) surface is subject to a restructuring/reconstruction in the upper phase of the biphasic mixture of AlCl(3)/[Py(1,4)]Tf(2)N at room temperature (25 degrees C) and that the deposition is not fully reversible. Furthermore, the underpotential deposition of Al in [Py(1,4)]Tf(2)N is not as clear as in [EMIm]Tf(2)N. The frequency shift in the EQCM experiments in [Py(1,4)]Tf(2)N shows a surprising result as an increase in frequency and a decrease in damping with bulk aluminum deposition at potentials more negative than -1.8 V was observed at room temperature. However, at 100 degrees C there is a frequency decrease with ongoing Al deposition. At -2.0 V vs Al/Al(III), a bulk aluminum deposition sets in.

This paper describes the host properties of a new cucurbit[6]uril analogue, studied by fluorescence and 1H NMR spectroscopy. This host has an elongated cavity with oval-shaped portals. It is intrinsically fluorescent, and more importantly, this fluorescence is sensitive to guest encapsulation, allowing for the study of the inclusion of nonfluorescent guests by fluorescence spectroscopy. In the case of benzene as guest, significant enhancement of the cucurbit[6]uril analogue host fluorescence was observed upon addition of benzene; this allowed for the determination of the binding constant for 1:1 host-guest complexation, yielding a value of K = 6900 +/- 1100 M(-1). This complexation was also studied by 1H NMR, yielding a similar value of K = 8980 +/- 500 M(-1). The binding of a much larger guest, the dye Nile Red, was also studied, but in this case using guest fluorescence. Significant suppression of the Nile Red fluorescence was observed upon 1:1 complexation with the cucurbit[6]uril analogue, with an extremely large binding constant of 8.2 +/- 0.5 x 10(6) M(-1), indicating a very strong host-guest interaction and an excellent size and shape match. In both cases, binding was much stronger than in the case of the same guests with cucurbit[6]uril itself, and in the case of Nile Red, binding was also much stronger than with modified beta- or gamma-cyclodextrins. This is partly a result of the partial aromatic nature of the host walls, which allow for pi-pi interactions not possible in cucurbiturils or cyclodextrins. The ability to study its inclusion complexes using either host or guest fluorescence, and the very high binding constants observed, illustrates the versatility and potential usefulness of this new host compound.

This paper presents the computational assessment of the electrochemical stability of a series of alkyl methylimidazolium-based ionic liquids for their use as lithium battery electrolytes. The oxidation and reduction potentials of the constituent cation and anion of each ionic liquid with respect to a Li+/Li reference electrode were calculated using density functional theory following the method of thermodynamic cycles, and the electrochemical stability windows (ESW)s of these ionic liquids were obtained. The effect of varying the length of alkyl side chains of the methylimidazolium-based cations on the redox potentials and ESWs was investigated. The results show that the limits of the ESWs of these methylimidazolium-based ionic liquids are defined by the oxidation potential of the anions and the reduction potential of alkyl-methylimidazolium cations. Moreover, ionic liquids with [PF6]- anion have a wider ESW. In addition to characterizing structure-function relationships, the accuracy of the computational approach was assessed through comparisons of the data against experimental measurements of ESWs. The potentials calculated by the thermodynamic cycle method are in good agreement with the experimental data while the HOMO/LUMO method overestimates the redox potentials. This work demonstrates that these approaches can provide guidance in selecting ionic liquid electrolytes when designing high-voltage rechargeable batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Description of the local microscopic structure in ionic liquids (ILs) is a prerequisite to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the influence of the nature of ions on the properties of ILs. The local structure is mainly determined by the spatial arrangement of the nearest neighboring ions. Therefore, the main interaction patterns in ILs, such as cation-anion H-bond-like motifs, cation-cation alkyl tail aggregation, and ring stacking, were considered within the framework of the nearest-neighbor approach with respect to each particular interaction site. We employed classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study in detail the spatial, radial, and orientational relative distribution of ions in a set of imidazolium-based ILs, in which the 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium (C4mim+) cation is coupled with the acetate (OAc-), chloride (Cl-), tetrafluoroborate (BF4 -), hexafluorophosphate (PF6 -), trifluoromethanesulfonate (TfO-), or bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide (TFSA-) anion. It was established that several structural properties are strongly anion-specific, while some can be treated as universally applicable to ILs, regardless of the nature of the anion. Namely, strongly basic anions, such as OAc- and Cl-, prefer to be located in the imidazolium ring plane next to the C-H2/4-5 sites. By contrast, the other four bulky and weakly coordinating anions tend to occupy positions above/below the plane. Similarly, the H-bond-like interactions involving the H² site are found to be particularly enhanced in comparison with the ones at H4-5 in the case of asymmetric and/or more basic anions (C4mimOAc, C4mimCl, C4mimTfO, and C4mimTFSA), in accordance with recent spectroscopic and theoretical findings. Other IL-specific details related to the multiple H-bond-like binding and cation stacking issues are also discussed in this paper. The secondary H-bonding of anions with the alkyl hydrogen atoms of cations as well as the cation-cation alkyl chain aggregation turned out to be poorly sensitive to the nature of the anion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solubilization of fullerenes is ofhigh interest because of theirwide usage in both fundamental research and numerous applications.This paper reports molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of saturatedand supersaturated solutions of C60in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazoliumtetrafluoroborate, [C4C1IM][BF4],room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL). The simulations cover a widerange of temperatures between 280 and 500 K at ambient pressure. Unlikein simpler solvents, C60in [C4C1IM][BF4] forms highly supersaturated solutions, whoseinternal arrangement remains unaltered during nearly a microsecond-longreal-time dynamics. The ion-molecular structure patterns in saturatedand supersaturated solutions are distinguished in terms of radialdistribution functions and cluster analysis of the solute particles.The cation separated solute pair is found to be a common structurein both saturated and supersaturated solutions. This observation suggeststhat the imidazolium cation plays an important role in the successfuldispersion of C60molecules. Anticipated practical applicationsof the observed phenomenon are briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate viaexperimental and simulation techniquesthe transport properties, in terms of total ionic conductivity andion diffusion coefficients, of ionic liquids doped with lithium salts.They are composed of two anions, bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (FSI) andbis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI), and two cations, N-ethyl-N-methylimidazolium (emim) andlithium ions. The comparison of the experimental results with thesimulations shows very good agreement over a wide temperature rangeand a broad range of compositions. The addition of TFSI gives riseto the formation of lithium dimers (Li+–TFSI––Li+). A closer analysis of suchdimers shows that involved lithium ions move nearly as fast as singlelithium ions, although they have a different coordination and muchslower TFSI exchange rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supportedionic liquid membranes (SILMs) are promising tools for the separationof carbon dioxide from other gases. In this paper, new imidazolium,pyrrolidinium, piperidinium, and morpholinium ionic liquids with atriethylene glycol side chain and tosylate anions, as well as theirsymmetrical dicationic analogues, have been synthesized and incorporatedinto SILMs. The selectivities for CO2/N2andCO2/CH4separations have been measured. Theselectivities exhibited by the dicationic ionic liquids are up totwo times higher than the values of the corresponding monocationicionic liquids. Quantum chemical calculations have been used to investigatethe difference in the interaction of carbon dioxide with monocationicand dicationic ionic liquids. The reason for the increased gas separationselectivity of the dicationic ionic liquids is two-fold: (1) a decreasein permeance of nitrogen and methane through the ionic liquid layer,presumably due to their less favorable interactions with the gases,while the permeance of carbon dioxide is reduced much less; (2) anincrease in the number of interaction sites for the interactions withthe quadrupolar carbon dioxide molecules in the dicationic ionic liquids,compared to the monocationic analogues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]