Radiation induced physicochemical changes in FAP (fluoro alkyl phosphate) based imidazolium ionic liquids and their mechanistic pathways: influence of hydroxyl group functionalization of the cation

Improvement on the Radiation Stability of Multi-scale Supramolecular Assembly in Ionic Liquid-Based Extraction

The multi-scale supramolecular assembly (MSSA)-based extraction strategy with hydroxyl-functionalized ionic liquid (IL) is promising in the separation of metal ions from radioactive environments for which a comprehensive understanding toward the radiation stability of the MSSA system is necessary. Herein, we report on the analyses of the radiation stability of MSSA in extraction, especially the adopted ILs 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide (IL-1) and 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2,3-dimethylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide (IL-2), by UV-vis, 1H NMR, and ESI-HRMS. It was found that the macroscopic assembly (MA) sphere could not be formed after γ irradiation on the extraction system with IL-1. On the contrary, the trisubstituted IL-2 instead of the disubstituted IL-1 remarkably improved the radiation stability of the MSSA system to guarantee the formation of the MA sphere. The high extraction efficiency could be kept, and the mechanism of such an improvement was revealed.

Biological compatibility, thermal and in vitro simulated degradation for poly(p-dioxanone)/poly(lactide-co-glycolide)/poly(ethylene succinate-co-glycolide)

Bio-absorbable polymers are widely desired to be applied and used as biomaterials for surgery hemostatic and medical tissue engineering devices. Ring-opening copolymerization reaction was applied to synthesize poly(ethylene succinate-co-glycolide) (PES-b-PGA). Stannous octoate was used as a catalyst whereas poly(ethylene succinate) was used as a macro-initiator to react with glycolide. PES-b-PGA was then used as a compatibilizer to prepare the blend biomaterial of PPDO/PLGA/PES-b-PGA by melt blending poly(p-dioxanone) (PPDO) with poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA). This would enhance the interactions of the inter-molecular chains and intra-molecular segments thus improving the compatibility. To obtain the biomaterial of PPDO/PLGA/PES-b-PGA with a regulated and controlled degradation and/or hydrolysis period, various ratios of PPDO, PLGA, and PES-b-PGA was blended. Behaviors of the thermal and in vitro simulated degradation, biological compatibility, cytotoxicity and subcutaneous implantation of PPDO/PLGA/PES-b-PGA were investigated. The results show that the in vitro hydrolytic degradation cycle is consistent with the wound healing time and that the biomaterial has slight cytotoxicity and it will do good to the cell proliferation, with 1 grade of cytotoxicity and the relative growth rate being the range from 92.5% to 96.2%. The implantation of the biomaterial into the rabbits' ears will not adversely affect the wound healing and the tissues surrounding the implanted sites. Therefore, the biomaterial has good biocompatibility and potential applications in medical tissue engineering devices.

A 10 minute approach for the phase specific synthesis of Se nanoparticles with tunable morphology: their anticancer efficacy and the role of an ionic liquid

The current work demonstrates a rapid and highly facile controlled phase-specific synthesis of Se nanoparticles, their anticancer efficacy and the 3-in-1 role of a RTIL.

Pulse Radiolysis and Computational Studies on a Pyrrolidinium Dicyanamide Ionic Liquid: Detection of the Dimer Radical Anion

A pulse radiolysis study on pyrrolidinium cation based ionic liquids is presented herein. Time-resolved absorption spectra for 1-methyl-1-propylpyrrolidinium dicyanamide (DCA) at 500 ns after the electron pulse show broad absorption bands at wavelengths below 440 nm and at 640 nm. In pyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (NTf₂) and tris(perfluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate (FAP) ILs, the transient absorption below 440 nm is much weaker. The absorption at 500 ns, which increases with wavelength from 500 nm to beyond 800 nm, was assigned to the tail of the solvated electron NIR absorption spectrum, since it disappears in the presence of N₂O. In the DCA IL, the presence of a reducing species was confirmed by the formation of pyrene radical anion. The difference in the transient species in the case of the DCA IL compared to other two ILs should be due to the anion, with cations being similar. In pseudohalide ILs such as DCA, radicals are formed by direct hole trapping by the anion (X^- + h⁺ → X^•), followed by addition to the parent anion. Prediction of the UV/vis absorption spectra of the dimer radical anion by computational calculation supports the experimental results. The oxidizing efficiency of (DCA)₂^•- and its reduction potential ( E_{(DCA)2^•-/(2DCA^-)}) have been determined.

Toward a Greenish Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Ionic Liquids as Solvents for Spent Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing and Other Decontamination Processes for Contaminated Metal Waste

The final disposition of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is an area that requires innovative solutions. The use of ionic liquids (ILs) has been examined as one means to remediate SNF in a variety of different chemical environments and with different chemical starting materials. The effectiveness of various ILs for SNF reprocessing, as well as the reaction chemistry that occurs in them, is discussed.

Porous nanostructures of SnSe: role of ionic liquid, tuning of nanomorphology and mechanistic studies

Porous SnSe nanoparticles have been synthesized in imidazolium based RTILviaelectron beam irradiation. RTIL provides a stabilizing environment as well as anin situsource of reducing radicals for the reduction of precursors.

Optical properties of irradiated imidazolium based room temperature ionic liquids: new microscopic insights into the radiation induced mutations

Considering the future perspectives of room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) in areas involving high radiation fields (such as the nuclear fuel cycle and space applications), it is essential to probe and have a microscopic understanding of the radiation induced perturbations in the molecular structures and the intrinsic bonding interactions existing in the ILs. Herein, a focused investigation concerning the photophysical behavior of post-irradiated FAP (fluoroalkyl phosphate) imidazolium ILs revealed considerable rearrangements and bonding realignments of the ionic moieties in the ILs on irradiation, however, their physicochemical properties do not change significantly even at high absorbed doses. Most interestingly, the well-established excitation wavelength dependent fluorescence (FL) behavior of the ILs was considerably perturbed on irradiation and this is attributed to the radiation induced decoupling of pre-existing different associated structures of ions, and the subsequent formation of oligomers and other species containing multiple bond order groups. This was further substantiated by vibrational studies, where peaks appearing in the range 1600-1800 cm(-1) indicated the formation of double bonded products. Furthermore, for the hydroxyl functionalized (in the alkyl side chain of the imidazolium cation) IL, a blue shift in the O-H stretching frequency was observed for the -OH group H-bonded to the FAP anion (νOH···[FAP](-)), while a red shift was observed for the H-bonded -OH groups in the cationic clusters. The FL lifetime values were found to increase with irradiation, which clearly indicates the enhancement in the rigidity level in the vicinity of the ions, thereby hindering the non-radiative decay processes. Such studies could contribute to the fundamental understanding of the radiation driven perturbations in the structure-property relationships, which eventually affect the radiolytic degradation pathways and the product distribution in RTILs.

The role of structural and fluidic aspects of room temperature ionic liquids in influencing the morphology of CdSe nano/microstructures grown in situ

RTILs as media to synthesize a variety of nanomaterials are gaining momentum owing to their unique physicochemical properties. However, the fundamental questions regarding the role of the inherent structure of the IL in directing the morphology and the growth mechanism of the nanoparticles are still unexplored. Therefore, an attempt was made in this respect wherein CdSe nanoparticles were synthesized in a neat room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL), 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium ethylsulfate ([EMIM][EtSO4]), under ambient conditions. The IL was found to play three roles, as a solvent, as a stabilizing agent and as a shape directing template. The primary nanoparticles were of the sizes in the range of 2-5 nm, as determined by HR-TEM. These primary nanoparticles grow into nanoflake-like units which further self-assemble and transform into a mixture of anisotropic nanostructures (predominantly 2D sheets and flower-like 3D patterns) as revealed by the SEM studies. The co-existence as well as the stability of these nanomorphologies point towards the intrinsic microheterogeneity prevailing in the IL. Furthermore, the vibrational spectroscopic studies comprising of FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy clearly indicate a sort of accord involving the π-π stacked aromatic geometry and the hydrogen bonding network (between the cation and the anion) of the IL with the CdSe nanoparticles. Therefore, a suitable mechanism has been provided for the resulting anisotropic nanostructures on the basis of the structural and the fluidic aspects of the IL in conjunction with the surface properties of the transient morphologies involved in the process. To further supplement this, control experiments were facilitated by diluting the IL with different amounts of water and the morphology of the CdSe nanostructures was examined at respective mole fractions of water as well as at different time intervals.