Multiple points of view of heteronuclear NOE: Long range vs short range contacts in pyrrolidinium based ionic liquids in the presence of Li salts

Edible Insects an Alternative Nutritional Source of Bioactive Compounds: A Review

Edible insects have the potential to become one of the major future foods. In fact, they can be considered cheap, highly nutritious, and healthy food sources. International agencies, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), have focused their attention on the consumption of edible insects, in particular, regarding their nutritional value and possible biological, toxicological, and allergenic risks, wishing the development of analytical methods to verify the authenticity, quality, and safety of insect-based products. Edible insects are rich in proteins, fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals but also seem to contain large amounts of polyphenols able to have a key role in specific bioactivities. Therefore, this review is an overview of the potential of edible insects as a source of bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, that can be a function of diet but also related to insect chemical defense. Currently, insect phenolic compounds have mostly been assayed for their antioxidant bioactivity; however, they also exert other activities, such as anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity, antityrosinase, antigenotoxic, and pancreatic lipase inhibitory activities.

The Intermolecular NOE Depends on Isotope Selection: Short Range vs Long Range Behavior

The nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) is a powerful tool in molecular structure elucidation, combining the subtle chemical shift of NMR and three-dimensional information independent of chemical connectivity. Its usage for intermolecular studies, however, is fundamentally limited by an unspecific long-ranged interaction behavior. This joint experimental and computational work shows that proper selection of interacting isotopes can overcome these limitations: Isotopes with strongly differing gyromagnetic ratios give rise to short-ranged intermolecular NOEs. In this light, existing NOE experiments need to be re-evaluated and future ones can be designed accordingly. Thus, a new chapter on intermolecular structure elucidation is opened.

Nuclear magnetic resonance characterisation of ionic liquids and organic ionic plastic crystals: common approaches and recent advances

Ionic liquids, and their solid-state equivalents organic ionic plastic crystals, show many useful and tailorable properties that make them interesting for a wide range of applications including as electrolytes for energy storage devices. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and related techniques offer a powerful and versatile toolkit for the characterisation of structure, interactions and dynamics in these materials. This article summarises both commonly used methods and some recent advances in this area, including solution- and solid-state methods, dynamic nuclear polarisation, imaging, diffusion and relaxation measurements, and example applications of some less commonly studied nuclei.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Dynamics Characterization of Ionic Liquid in Poly(ethylene oxide)-Based Polymer Electrolytes

Ternary systems consisting of polymers, lithium salts, and ionic liquids (ILs) are promising materials for the development of next-generation lithium batteries. The ternary systems combine the advantages of polymer-salt and IL-salt systems, thus providing media with high ionic conductivity and solid-like mechanical properties. In this work, we apply nuclear magnetic resonance 1H microimaging [magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)] techniques and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study the translational and rotational dynamics of the N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium (PYR14) cation in poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) matrices containing the lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide salt (LiTFSI) and the PYR14TFSI IL. The analysis of diffusion-weighted images in PEO/LiTFSI/PYR14TFSI samples with varying mole ratios (10:1:x, with x = 1, 2, 3, and 4) shows, in a wide range of temperatures, a spatially heterogeneous distribution of PYR14 diffusion coefficients. Their weight-averaged values increase with IL content but remain well below the values estimated for the neat IL. The analysis of T2 (spin-spin relaxation) parametric images shows that the PEO matrix significantly hinders PYR14 rotational freedom, which is only partially restored by increasing the IL content. The MD simulations, performed on IL-filled cavities within the PEO matrix, reveal that PYR14 diffusion is mainly affected by Li/TFSI coordination within the IL phase. In agreement with MRI experiments, increasing the IL content increases the PYR14 diffusion coefficients. Finally, the analysis of MD trajectories suggests that Li diffusion mostly develops within the IL phase, although a fraction of Li cations is strongly coordinated by PEO oxygen atoms.

Anions as Dynamic Probes for Ionic Liquid Mixtures

Ionic liquid (IL) mixtures have been proposed as a viable alternative to rationally fine-tune the physicochemical properties of ILs for a variety of applications. The understanding of the effects of mixing ILs on the properties of the mixtures is however only in the very early stages. Two series of ionic liquid mixtures, based on the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium and 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium cations, and having a common anion (tetrafluoroborate or bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide), have been prepared and deeply characterized via multiple NMR techniques. Diffusion and relaxation methods combined with 2D ion-ion correlation (nuclear Overhauser enhancement) experiments have been used for a better understanding of the interplay between dynamics and structure of IL mixtures. A crucial role of the anion in driving the mixture's behavior emerged, making them important "dynamic probes" for gaining information of the polar and nonpolar regions of ionic liquids and their mixtures.

Binary Donor-Acceptor Adducts of Tetrathiafulvalene Donors with Cyclic Trimetallic Monovalent Coinage Metal Acceptors

Reactions between the π-acidic cyclic trimetallic coinage metal(I) complexes {[Cu(μ-3,5-(CF₃)₂pz)]₃, {[Ag(μ-3,5-(CF₃)₂pz)]₃, and {[Au(μ-3,5-(CF₃)₂pz)]₃ with TTF, DBTTF and BEDT-TTF give rise to a series of coinage metal(I)-based new binary donor-acceptor adducts {[Cu(μ-3,5-(CF₃)₂pz)]₃DBTTF} (1), {[Ag(μ-3,5-(CF₃)₂pz)]₃DBTTF} (2), {[Au(μ-3,5-(CF₃)₂pz)]₃DBTTF} (3), {[Cu(μ-3,5-(CF₃)₂pz)]₃TTF} (4), {[Ag(μ-3,5-(CF₃)₂pz)]₃TTF} (5), {[Au(μ-3,5-(CF₃)₂pz)]₃TTF} (6), {[Cu(μ-3,5-(CF₃)₂pz)]₃BEDT-TTF} (7), {[Ag(μ-3,5-(CF₃)₂pz)]₃BEDT-TTF} (8), and {[Au(μ-3,5-(CF₃)₂pz)]₃BEDT-TTF} (9), where pz = pyrazolate, TTF = tetrathiafulvalene, DBTTF = dibenzotetrathiafulvalene, and BEDT-TTF = bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene. This series of binary donor-acceptor adducts has been found to exhibit remarkable supramolecular structures in both the solid state and solution, whereby they exhibit supramolecular stacked chains and oligomers, respectively. The supramolecular solid-state and solution binary donor-acceptor adducts also exhibit superior shelf stability under ambient laboratory storage conditions. Structural and other electronic properties of solids and solutions of these adducts have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) structural analysis, ¹H and ¹⁹F NMR, UV-vis-near-IR spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared, and computational investigations. The combined results of XRD structural data analysis, spectroscopic measurements, and theoretical studies suggest sustenance of the donor-acceptor stacked structure and electronic communication in both the solid state and solution. These properties are discussed in terms of potential applications for this new class of supramolecular binary donor-acceptor adducts in molecular electronic devices, including solar cells, magnetic switching devices, and field-effect transistors.

Investigating Intermolecular Interactions in a DME-Based Hybrid Ionic Liquid Electrolyte by HOESY NMR

The intermolecular interactions in a hybrid electrolyte based on various compositions of the ionic liquid N-methyl-N-propyl pyrrolidinium bis-fluorosulfonylimide (C₃mpyrFSI), LiFSI salt and an ether-based additive, 1,2-dimethoxy ethane (DME), have been investigated using the HOESY (Heteronuclear Overhauser Effect SpectroscopY) NMR experiment. This NMR technique allows a quantification of the intermolecular interactions in ionic liquids (ILs) by measuring the cross-relaxation rate (σ) between different pairs of nuclei. Thereby, we compare the cross-relaxation rates between the cations, anions and DME in these hybrid electrolyte systems using ¹H-⁷Li and ¹H-¹⁹F HOESY experiments, and interpret the measured parameters in terms of ionic and molecular associations. The results give insights into the local coordination environment of the Li⁺ cations and their solvation by the FSI anions and DME.

Correlating Intermolecular Cross-Relaxation Rates with Distances and Coordination Numbers in Ionic Liquids

The HOESY NMR experiment is commonly used to probe ion associations in ionic liquids and their mixtures. The parameter measured in this experiment is the heteronuclear cross-relaxation rate σ, which has dimensions of s^-1. For intramolecular NOEs this scales as r^-6 where r is the internuclear distance, but in the intermolecular case (as typically probed in studies of ionic liquids), theory predicts a more complex behavior including a distance dependence that is affected by the relative frequencies of the nuclei involved. Specifically, for nuclei with similar resonance frequencies such as ¹H and ¹⁹F, it has been predicted that intermolecular NOEs will be sensitive to longer range distances than for nuclei with very different frequencies such as ¹H and ⁷Li. In this contribution, we test this theory using a combination of quantitative HOESY analysis and molecular dynamics simulations carried out on two different ionic liquid electrolyte systems. In agreement with theoretical predictions, we find excellent correlations between the experimentally measured ¹H-⁷Li NOEs and carbon-lithium distances below 4 Å, while longer distances (>6 Å) must be considered in order to obtain good correlations between ¹H-¹⁹F NOEs and carbon-fluorine coordination numbers. This demonstrates the utility of HOESY NMR in understanding structure and interactions in ionic liquids while also illustrating that care must be taken in interpreting the measured cross-relaxation rates.

On the measurement of intermolecular heteronuclear cross relaxation rates in ionic liquids

The HOESY (Heteronuclear Overhauser Effect SpectroscopY) NMR experiment is commonly used to study interactions and structuring in ionic liquids (ILs) via the measurement of the cross relaxation rate σ between two spins. In the intermolecular case, σ is proportional to r-n, where r is the internuclear distance and n can vary between 1 and 6 depending on the frequency of the nuclei and their dynamics, thus σ can potentially provide detailed information on the liquid phase structure. However, in HOESY studies of ILs only relative values for σ are typically reported, making comparisons between different samples difficult. Herein we discuss the quantitative measurement of intermolecular cross relaxation rates based on the normalisation of HOESY signal intensities to the nuclear Boltzmann polarisation, demonstrated for 7Li-1H spin pairs in a lithium-containing pyrrolidinum-based ionic liquid electrolyte. We also use a simple model based on diffusing hard spheres for interpreting these quantities in terms of a distance of closest approach.

Probing Ionic Liquid Electrolyte Structure via the Glassy State by Dynamic Nuclear Polarization NMR Spectroscopy

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP)-enhanced solid-state NMR spectroscopy has been used to study an ionic liquid salt solution (N-methyl-N-propyl-pyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide, C₃mpyrFSI, containing 1.0 m lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide, ⁶LiFSI) in its glassy state at a temperature of 92 K. The incorporation of a biradical to enable DNP signal enhancement allowed the proximities of the lithium to the individual carbon sites on the pyrrolidinium cation to be probed using a ¹³C-⁶Li REDOR pulse sequence. Distributions in Li-C distances were extracted and converted into a 3D map of the locations of the Li⁺ relative to the C₃mpyr that shows remarkably good agreement with a liquid-phase molecular dynamics simulation.

A review of NMR methods used in the study of the structure and dynamics of ionic liquids

Recently, NMR spectroscopy has been emerging out as a powerful tool to study the structure and dynamics of ionic liquids (ILs) and ILs-Li⁺ salt mixtures. This mini-review primarily focuses on the applications of various NMR spectroscopic techniques such as self-diffusion measurements, NMR relaxometry, two-dimensional NMR, and other novel NMR approaches to study the structure and dynamics of ILs and its mixtures with lithium salts. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Determination of inter-ionic and intra-ionic interactions in a monofluorinated imidazolium ionic liquid by a combination of X-ray crystallography and NOE NMR spectroscopy

We report the very first application of a Transient 1D ¹ H{¹⁹ F} NOE NMR experiment in neat ionic liquids. In comparison with classical 2D HOESY NMR spectroscopy, a substantial reduction in measurement time is gained with comparable quality and information content of the spectra. In combination with classical X-ray crystallography, we have applied this technique for the determination of inter-ionic distances (i.e. probabilities of presence) utilizing an ionic liquid containing a monofluorinated imidazolium cation. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

From Nanoscale to Microscale: Crossover in the Diffusion Dynamics within Two Pyrrolidinium-Based Ionic Liquids

Knowledge of the ion motion in room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) is critical for their applications in a number of fields, from lithium batteries to dye-sensitized solar cells. Experiments on a limited number of RTILs have shown that on macroscopic time scales the ions typically undergo conventional, Gaussian diffusion. On shorter time scales, however, non-Gaussian behavior has been observed, similar to supercooled fluids, concentrated colloidal suspensions, and more complex systems. Here we characterize the diffusive motion of ionic liquids based on the N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium (PYR₁₄) cation and bis(trifluoro methanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI) or bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (FSI) anions. A combination of pulsed gradient spin-echo (PGSE) NMR experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations demonstrates a crossover from subdiffusive behavior to conventional Gaussian diffusion at ∼10 ns. The deconvolution of molecular displacements into a continuous spectrum of diffusivities shows that the short-time behavior is related to the effects of molecular caging. For PYR₁₄FSI, we identify the change of short-range ion-counterion associations as one possible mechanism triggering long-range displacements.