Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been found to be a major contributor to air pollution in many chemical and industrial processes. Recently, a new class of solvents–ionic liquids, which are chemically stable and non-volatile liquid organic salts at temperatures less than 100 C, have attracted widespread interest due to its negligible volatility, nonflammability and high ionic conductivity....

The lack of suitable nonflammable electrolytes has delayed battery application in electric vehicles. A new approach to improve the safety performance for lithium battery is proposed here. This technology is based on a nanogelator-based solid electrolyte made of porous oxides and an ionic liquid. The electrolyte is fabricated using an in situ method and the porous oxides serve as a nonflammable ...

The last five years' achievements in the synthesis and investigation of thermotropic ionic liquid crystals are reviewed. The present review describes the mesomorphic properties displayed by organic, as well as metal-containing ionic mesogens. In addition, a short overview on the ionic polymer and self-assembled liquid crystals is given. Potential and actual applications of ionic mesogens are al...

The efficiency of two biomass pretreatment technologies, dilute acid hydrolysis and dissolution in an ionic liquid, are compared in terms of delignification, saccharification efficiency and saccharide yields with switchgrass serving as a model bioenergy crop. When subject to ionic liquid pretreatment (dissolution and precipitation of cellulose by anti-solvent) switchgrass exhibited reduced cell...

The proof-of-principle for the separation of metals by solvent extraction using two mutually immiscible ionic liquids is given. Cobalt was extracted from the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride to the ionic liquid trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)phosphinate. A distribution ratio of 44 was obtained. Cobalt could be selectively separated from nickel, with a...

The formation of lipid bilayers between ionic liquid droplets is presented as a new means of forming functional bimolecular networks. Ionic liquids are molten salts that have a number of interesting properties, such as the ability to be a liquid at room temperature and exceedingly low vapor pressure. Our research demonstrates that it is possible to consistently and repeatable form lipid bilayer...

In this study, the use of ionic liquids as additives in the separation of 2-chlorophenol and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography is reported. The ionic liquids used were 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium methylsulfate ([EMIm][MS]), and 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium me...

Solvate ionic liquids are a subclass of ionic liquids that have the potential to be used in a range of electrochemical devices. We present molecular dynamics simulations of the interfacial structure of thin films of one such lithium based solvate ionic liquid, [Li(G4)][TFSI], an equimolar solution of tetraglyme and lithium bistriflimide. This solvate ionic liquid is shown to form a novel interf...

The reaction of a series of substituted benzaldehydes with hexylamine was examined in acetonitrile and an ionic liquid. In acetonitrile, as the electron withdrawing nature of the substituent increases, the overall addition-elimination process becomes faster as does the build-up of the aminol intermediate. Under equivalent conditions in an ionic liquid, less intermediate build up is observed, an...

The structural properties of ionic liquid/rubrene single-crystal interfaces were investigated using frequency modulation atomic force microscopy. The spontaneous dissolution of rubrene molecules into the ionic liquid was triggered by surface defects such as rubrene oxide defects, and the dissolution rate strongly depended on the initial conditions of the rubrene surface. Dissolution of the seco...