Diarylethene-Based Ionic Liquids: Synthesis and Photo-Driven Solution Properties.

In this work, the design and synthesis of a series of photochromic gemini diarylethene-based ionic liquids (GDILs) with different cationic motifs is reported. Several synthetic pathways were optimized for the formation of cationic GDILs with chloride as the counterion. The different cationic motifs were achieved through the N-alkylation of the photochromic organic core unit with different tertiary amines, including different aromatic amines such as imidazole derivatives and pyridinium, and other non-aromatic amines. These novel salts present surprising water solubility with unexplored photochromic features that broaden their known applications. The covalent attachment of the different side groups dictates their water solubility and differences upon photocyclization. The physicochemical properties of GDILs in aqueous and in imidazolium-based ionic liquid (IL) solutions were investigated. Upon irradiation with ultraviolet (UV) light, we have observed changes in the physico-chemical properties of distinct solutions containing these GDILs, at very low concentrations. More specifically, in aqueous solution, the overall conductivity increased with the time of UV photoirradiation. In contrast, in IL solution, these photoinducible changes are dependent on the type of ionic liquid used. These compounds can improve non-ionic and ionic liquids' solutions since we can change their properties, such as conductivity, viscosity or ionicity, only by UV photoirradiation. The electronic and conformational changes associated with these innovative stimuli GDILs may open new opportunities for their use as photoswitchable materials.

Effect of Thiouronium-Based Ionic Liquids on the Formation and Growth of CO2 (sI) and THF (sII) Hydrates.

In this manuscript, two thiouronium-based ionic liquids (ILs), namely 2-ethylthiouronium bromide [C2th][Br] and 2-(hydroxyethyl)thiouronium bromide [C2OHth][Br], were tested at different concentrations (1 and 10 wt%) for their ability to affect CO2 (sI) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) (sII) hydrate formation and growth. Two different methods were selected to perform a thermodynamic and kinetic screening of the CO2 hydrates using a rocking cell apparatus: (i) an isochoric pressure search method to map the hydrate phase behavior and (ii) a constant ramping method to obtain the hydrate formation and dissociation onset temperatures. A THF hydrate crystal growth method was also used to determine the effectiveness of the ILs in altering the growth of type sII hydrates at atmospheric pressure. Hydrate-liquid-vapor equilibrium measurements revealed that both ILs act as thermodynamic inhibitors at 10 wt% and suppress the CO2 hydrate equilibria ~1.2 °C. The constant ramping methodology provides interesting results and reveals that [C2OHth][Br] suppresses the nucleation onset temperature and delays the decomposition onset temperatures of CO2 hydrates at 1 wt%, whereas suppression by [C2th][Br] was not statistically significant. Normalized pressure plots indicate that the presence of the ILs slowed down the growth as well as the decomposition rates of CO2 hydrates due to the lower quantity of hydrate formed in the presence of 1 wt% ILs. The ILs were also found to be effective in inhibiting the growth of type sII THF hydrates without affecting their morphology. Therefore, the studied thiouronium ILs can be used as potential dual-function hydrate inhibitors. This work also emphasizes the importance of the methods and conditions used to screen an additive for altering hydrate formation and growth.

Enhancement of water solubility of poorly water-soluble drugs by new biocompatible N-acetyl amino acid N-alkyl cholinium-based ionic liquids.

The major challenge of the pharmaceutical industry is to find potential solvents for poorly water-soluble drug molecules. Ionic liquids (ILs) have attracted this industry as (co-) solvents due to their unique physicochemical and biological properties. Herein, a straightforward approach for the enhancement of the water solubility of paracetamol and sodium diclofenac is presented, using new biocompatible N-acetyl amino acid N-alkyl cholinium-based ionic liquids as co-solvents (0.2-1 mol%). These new ionic liquids were able to increase the water solubility of these drugs up to four times that in pure water or in an inorganic salt solution. In the presence of these ILs, the drugs lipophilicity (log P was not significantly changed for paracetamol, but for sodium diclofenac it was possible to decrease significantly its lipophilicity. Concerning cytotoxicity in human dermal fibroblasts it was observed that ILs did not show a significant toxicity, and were able to improve cell viability compared with the respective precursors.

Odd-even effect on the formation of aqueous biphasic systems formed by 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ionic liquids and salts.

This work provides a comprehensive evaluation of the effect of the cation alkyl side chain length of the 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride series ([C n C1im]Cl, n = 2-14) of ionic liquids (ILs) on their capability to form aqueous biphasic systems (ABSs) with salts and self-aggregation derived properties. The liquid-liquid phase behavior of ternary systems composed of [C n C1im]Cl, water, and K3PO4 or K2CO3 and the respective Setschenow salting-out coefficients (ks ), a quantitative measure of the two-phase formation ability, were determined. An odd-even effect in the ks values along the number of methylene groups of the longest IL cation alkyl side chain was identified for the ABS formed by K2CO3, a weaker salting-out agent where the phenomenon is clearly identified. In general, cations with even alkyl side chains, being likely to display higher molar volumes, are more easily salted-out and thus more prone to undergo phase separation. The odd-even effect in the ks values is, however, more significant in ILs up to n = 6, where the nanostructuration/nanosegregation of ILs plays a less relevant role. Still, with the [C n C1im]Cl (n = 7-14) series of ILs, an odd-even effect was also identified in the ILs' ionization degree, molar conductivity, and conductivity at infinite dilution. In summary, it is shown here that the ILs' odd-even effect occurs in IL aqueous solutions and not just in neat ILs, an already well-established phenomenon occurring in a series of ILs' properties described as a result of the orientation of the terminal methyl groups to the imidazolium ring cation and consequent effect in the ILs' cohesive energy.

Liquid-liquid equilibrium of cholinium-derived bistriflimide ionic liquids with water and octanol.

The liquid-liquid equilibria of mixtures of cholinum-based ionic liquids (N-alkyl-N,N-dimethylhydroxyethylammonium bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonylimide, [N(11n2OH)][Ntf(2)], n = 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) plus water or 1-octanol were investigated at atmospheric pressure over the entire composition range. The experiments were conducted between 265 and 385 K using the cloud-point method. The systems exhibit phase diagrams consistent with the existence of upper critical solution temperatures. The solubility of [N(1 1 n 2OH)][Ntf(2)] in water is lower for cations with longer alkyl side chains (larger n values). The corresponding trend in the octanol mixtures is reversed. The ([N(1 1 1 2OH)][Ntf(2)] + water + octanol) ternary system shows triple liquid-liquid immiscibility at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. A combined analytic/synthetic method was used to estimate the corresponding phase diagram under those conditions. Auxiliary molecular dynamics simulation data were used to interpret the experimental results at a molecular level.

Density, thermal expansion and viscosity of cholinium-derived ionic liquids.

Density and viscosity data of the N-alkyl-N,N-dimethyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ionic liquids homologous series [N(1 1 n 2(OH))][Ntf(2)] with n=1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 have been measured at atmospheric pressure in the 283