Modeling protic dicationic ionic liquids based on quaternary ammonium, imidazolium or pyrrolidinium cations and bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide anion: Structure and spectral characteristics

Proton transfer between sulfonic acids and various propylamines by density functional theory calculations

CONTEXT

Proton transfer in acid-base systems is not well understood. Some acid-base reactions do not proceed to the extent that is expected from the difference in the pK_a values between the base and acid in aqueous solutions, yet some do. In that regard, we have computationally studied the process of proton transfer from the acids of varying strength (benzenesulfonic acid (BSu), methansulfonic acid (MsO), and sulfuric acid (SA)) to the amines with different numbers of propyl substituents on the nitrogen atom (propylamine (PrA), dipropylamine (DPrA), and tripropylamine (TPrA)) upon complexation. Density functional theory calculations were used to thoroughly examine the energetic and structural aspects of the molecular complexes and/or ionic pairs resulting from the acid-base interaction. The potential energy curves along the proton transfer coordinate in these acid-amine systems were analyzed. The change in free energies accompanying the molecular complexes and ionic pair formations was calculated, and the relationship between the energy values and the ΔРА parameter (difference in proton affinity of the acid anion and amine) was established. The larger ΔРА values were found to be unfavorable for the formation of ionic pairs. Using structural, energy, QTAIM, and NBO analyses, we determined that the hydrogen bonds in the molecular complexes PrA-MsO and PrA-BSu are stronger than those in their corresponding ionic pairs. The ionic pairs with the TPrA cation possess the strongest hydrogen bonds of all the ionic pairs being studied, regardless of the anion. The results showed that hydrogen bonding interactions in the molecular complexes contribute significantly to the energies of the acid-base interaction, while in the ionic pairs, the most important energy contribution comes from Coulomb interactions, followed by hydrogen bonding and dispersion forces. The ionic pairs with propylammonium, dipropylammonium, and tripropylammonium cations have stronger ion-ion interactions than tetrapropylammonium (TetPrA)-containing ionic pairs with the same anions. This effect rises with the order of the cation: TetPrA → TPrA → DPrA → PrA, and the sequence of anions is SA → BSu → MsO. The results obtained here expand the concept of acid-base interaction and provide an alternative to experimental searches for suitable acids and bases to obtain new types of protic ionic liquids.

METHODS

All quantum-chemical calculations were carried out by using the DFT/B3LYP-GD3/6-31++G(d,p) level as implemented in the Gaussian 09 software package. For the resulting structures, the electron density distribution was analyzed by the "atoms in molecules" (QTAIM) and the natural bond orbital (NBO) methods on the wave functions obtained at the same level of theory by AIMAll Version 10.05.04 and Gaussian NBO Version 3.1 programs, respectively.

DFT and COSMO-RS studies on dicationic ionic liquids (DILs) as potential candidates for CO2 capture: the effects of alkyl side chain length and symmetry in cations

The weaker interaction energy between anions and cations, the stronger interaction of a CO2 molecule with the cation. Also, the selectivity of CO2 from H2, CO and CH4 gases decreases slightly with increasing the length of side alkyl chains.

Ion Pair Structures and Hydrogen Bonding in RnNH4-n Alkylammonium Ionic Liquids with Hydrogen Sulfate and Mesylate Anions by DFT Computations

Density function theory calculations are employed to study the interaction of amines bearing different numbers of alkyl substituents of different sizes on the nitrogen atom with sulfuric and methanesulfonic acids. The proton affinities of the studied amines are calculated, and it is shown that the higher the value is, the more probable is its protonation. The most stable structures of the ion pairs resulting from the acid-base interaction are obtained and characterized. The geometric parameters of the ion pairs and the characteristics derived from the NBO and QTAIM analysis show that there are hydrogen bonding interactions between the cation and the anion. The hydrogen bonding character of the ion pairs and the strength of the interaction between the ions strongly depend on the nature of the cation itself. The interaction between the ions in the ion pairs weakens with the increase in the cation size. The trend of change in the structural parameters of the H-bonds and energetic characteristics in the cation series for the studied ion pairs is not dependent on the nature of the anion.

Synthesis of novel functional ionic liquids and their application in biomass

A series of dicationic ionic liquids (ILs) including [PF6][(PYR)C4(MIM)][Cl], [PF6][(PYR)C4(PYR)][Cl], [PF6][(PYR)C5(MIM)][Cl], and [PF6][(PYR)C5(PYR)][Cl], and monocationic ILs including [(PYR)C4Cl][PF6], [(PYR)C5Cl][PF6], [(MIM)C2COOH][PF6] and [(PYR)C2COOH][PF6] were synthesized. Their thermal stability and melting points were determined. Their solubility with organic solvents and the miscibility with water were investigated. These functional ILs are hydrophilic at high temperatures and they are hydrophobic at low temperatures, which enable the effective isolation of the resulting reducing sugar. High yields of reducing sugar were obtained for corn stalk after 8 h (20.73%) and potato starch after 6 h (72.50%) by the treatment with the mixture of [PF6][(PYR)C4(PYR)][Cl] and [(PYR)C2COOH][PF6]. The reuse of dicationic and monocationic ILs was successfully performed and no significant reduction in yields of reducing sugar was observed. These functional ILs have important implications in the design of homogeneous and heterogeneous systems with water and organic solvents, which could be used to satisfy some specific applications.