Is universal, simple melting point prediction possible?

An investigation of the melting points of 520 organic 1:1 salts is presented with the aim of developing a universal, simple, physically well-founded prediction scheme. The general reliability and reproducibility of the recorded experimental data are discussed with respect to purity, phase behavior, disorder and thermal history of a given substance. Additionally, mistakes, systematic errors, or lack of conventions can lead to considerable differences in the experimental measurements. A rough error bar for the reproducibility of the melting points of organic salts of ±5 to ±15 °C can be assigned. With this restraint, we developed two simple, semiempirical, five- and nine-parameter schemes with easy-to-calculate quantities. With these, we could predict the melting temperature of a given organic salt in the temperature range of -25 to +300 °C with an average error of 33.5 °C and a relative error of 9.3%. All calculated quantities are assessed with the help of conventional DFT, COSMO and COSMO-RS calculations, and are currently implemented into the IL-Prop module of the upcoming version of COSMOtherm. These prediction schemes are suitable for high-throughput computational screening of substances in the context of "computer-aided synthesis". Therefore, they are valuable tools to find a compound with a suitable melting point before its first synthesis.

Temperature-dependent prediction of the liquid entropy of ionic liquids.

Modeling of the temperature-dependent liquid entropy of ionic liquids (ILs) with great accuracy using COSMO-RS is demonstrated. The minimum structures of eight IL ion pairs are investigated and the entropy, calculated from ion pairs, is found to differ on average only 2% from the available experimental values (119 data points). For calculations with single ions, the average error amounts to 2.6% and stronger-coordinating ions tend to give higher deviations. Additionally, the first parameterization of the standard liquid entropy for ILs is presented in the context of traditional volume-based thermodynamics (S(l)(0)=1.585 kJ mol(-1) K(-1) nm(-3)·r(m)(3)+14.09 J mol(-1) K(-1)), which sheds light on the statistical treatment of ionic interactions. The findings provide the first direct access to accurate predictions of liquid entropies of ILs, which are tedious and time-consuming to measure.

Structure, conformations, vibrations, and ideal-gas properties of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ionic pairs and constituent ions.

Energies, geometries, and frequencies of normal vibrations have been calculated by quantum-chemical methods for different conformers of a bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide anion (NTf2-), 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cations ([C(n)mim]+, n = 2, 4, 6, 8), and [C(n)mim]NTf2 ionic pairs. The assignment of frequencies for NTf2-, [C2mim]+, and [C4mim]+ in the vibrational spectra of ionic liquids have been performed. Thermodynamic properties of [C(n)mim]NTf2, [C(n)mim]+, and NTf2- in the gas state have been calculated by the statistical thermodynamic methods. The resulting entropies are in satisfactory agreement with the values obtained from the experimental data previously reported in literature.

Physicochemical properties, structure, and conformations of 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide [C4mim]NTf2 ionic liquid.

Thermodynamic properties of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ([C4mim]NTf2) ionic liquid have been studied by adiabatic calorimetry in the temperature range of 5 to 370 K. This compound has been found to form crystal, liquid, and glass. The temperature and enthalpy of fusion for [C(4)mim]NTf(2) have been determined to be T(fus) = 270.22 +/- 0.02 K and Delta(fus)H = 23.78 +/- 0.04 kJ.mol(-1), respectively. The heat capacity of crystalline [C(4)mim]NTf(2) in the T range of 205 to 255 K may vary by a few percent, subject to the procedure of the crystal preparation. The glass transition temperature for [C(4)mim]NTf(2) has been found to be T(g) = 181.5 +/- 0.1 K. On the basis of the results of DFT quantum chemical calculations, the experimental vibrational spectra, and the available literature data, thermodynamic properties of [C(4)mim]NTf(2) in the ideal-gas state have been calculated by the statistical thermodynamic methods. The entropy values for the gaseous compound obtained from the experimental data and the calculations are in satisfactory agreement.

Thermodynamics of ionic liquids precursors: 1-methylimidazole.

The standard molar enthalpy of formation in the liquid state for 1-methylimidazole (MeIm) was obtained from combustion calorimetry. The enthalpy of vaporization of the compound was derived from the temperature dependence of the vapor pressure measured by the transpiration method. Additionally, the enthalpy of vaporization for MeIm was measured directly using Calvet-type calorimetry. In order to verify the experimental data, first-principles calculations of MeIm were performed. The enthalpy of formation evaluated at the G3MP2 level of theory is in excellent agreement with the experimental value. The heat capacity and parameters of fusion of MeIm were measured in the temperature range (5 to 370) K using adiabatic calorimetry. The thermodynamic functions for the compound in the crystal and liquid states were calculated from these data. Based on the experimental spectroscopic data and the results of quantum-chemical calculations, the ideal-gas properties for MeIm were calculated by methods of statistical thermodynamics.

Calorimetric determination of the enthalpy of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide synthesis: a key quantity in thermodynamics of ionic liquids.

The enthalpy of the 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide [C(4)mim]Br ionic liquid synthesis reaction 1-methylimidazole (liq) + 1-bromobutane (liq) --> [C(4)mim]Br (liq) was determined in a homemade small-volume isoperibol calorimeter to be Delta(r)H degrees (298) = -87.7 +/- 1.6 kJ x mol(-1). The activation energy for this reaction in a homogeneous system E(A) = 73 +/- 4 kJ x mol(-1) was found from the results of calorimetric measurements. The formation enthalpies for the crystalline and liquid [C(4)mim]Br were determined from the calorimetric data: Delta(f)H degrees (298)(cr) = -178 +/- 5 kJ x mol(-1) and Delta(f)H degrees (298)(liq) = -158 +/- 5 kJ x mol(-1). The ideal-gas formation enthalpy of this compound Delta(f)H degrees (298)(g) = 16 +/- 7 kJ x mol(-1) was calculated using the methods of quantum chemistry and statistical thermodynamics. The vaporization enthalpy of [C(4)mim]Br, Delta(vap)H degrees (298) = 174 +/- 9 kJ x mol(-1), was estimated from the experimental and calculated formation enthalpies. It was demonstrated that vapor pressure of this ionic liquid cannot be experimentally determined.

The kinetics of thermal decomposition of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate.

It is demonstrated that 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate decomposes in a vacuum in the temperature interval of T=(410 to 505) K according to zero-order kinetics with the activation energy EA=68.0+/-2.8 kJ.mol-1.

Experimental vapor pressures of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imides and a correlation scheme for estimation of vaporization enthalpies of ionic liquids.

Vapor pressures for a series of 1-n-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (alkyl = ethyl, butyl, hexyl, and octyl) ionic liquids (ILs) were measured by the integral effusion Knudsen method. Thermodynamic parameters of vaporization for ILs were calculated from these data. The absence of decomposition of ILs during the vaporization process was proved by IR spectroscopy. Enthalpies of vaporization of ILs were correlated with molar volumes and surface tensions of the compounds.