Organometallic Ionic Liquids Containing Sandwich Complexes: Molecular Design, Physical Properties, and Chemical Reactivities

Ionic liquids (ILs) are salts with low melting points and are useful as electrolytes and solvents. We have developed ILs containing cationic metal complexes, which form a family of functional liquids that exhibit unique physical properties and chemical reactivities originating from metal complexes. Our study explores the liquid chemistry in the field of coordination chemistry, where solid-state chemistry is currently the main focus. This review describes the molecular design, physical properties, and reactivities of organometallic ILs containing sandwich or half-sandwich complexes. This paper mainly covers stimuli-responsive ILs, whose magnetic properties, solvent polarities, colors, or structures change by the application of external fields, such as light, heat, and magnetic fields, or by reaction with coordinating molecules.

System for Living ROMP of a Paramagnetic FeCl4--Based Ionic Liquid Monomer: Direct Synthesis of Magnetically Responsive Block Copolymers

Direct, living ring-opening metathesis polymerization of a highly paramagnetic, norbornene-based imidazolium FeCl₄^- ionic liquid monomer was achieved using the Grubbs third-generation catalyst and starting the polymerization off with an uncharged, nonparamagnetic norbornene monomer in a sequential block copolymerization. Preparing the paramagnetic norbornene imidazolium FeCl₄^- monomer in high purity was found to be crucial for enabling living polymerization behavior and generating paramagnetic diblock copolymers with predictable block lengths and compositions.

Novel functionalized magnetic ionic liquid green separation technology coupled with high performance liquid chromatography: A rapid approach for determination of estrogens in milk and cosmetics

Several magnetic ionic liquids (MILs), [P_6,6,6,14⁺][FeCl₄^-], [P_6,6,6,14⁺]₂[MnCl₄^2-], [P_6,6,6,14⁺]₂[CoCl₄^2-] and [P_6,6,6,14⁺]₂[NiCl₄^2-] were synthesized and applied for the extraction of six estrogens (estrone, estradiol, 17-α-hydroxyprogesterone, chloromadinone 17-acetate, megestrol 17-acetate and medroxyprogesterone 17-acetate) in dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME). The [CoCl₄^2-]-based MIL was selected as extraction solvent for the separation and concentration of estrogens from milk and cosmetics due to its visual recognition, no sign of hydrolysis, solution acquisition easier and the highest extraction capacity. In addition, the [CoCl₄^2-]-based MIL with low UV absorbance allows direct analysis of the extraction solvent by HPLC-UV. The influence of the mass of MIL, extraction time, salt concentration, and the pH of the sample solution was investigated to obtain optimized extraction efficiency. Besides, extraction conditions including salt concentration, mass of MIL and extraction time were further optimized by the Box-Behnken design through the response surface method. Under optimized conditions, the limits of detection (LODs) of all estrogens were ranged from 5 ng mL^-1 to 15 ng mL^-1. The recoveries ranging from 98.5% to 109.3% in milk and from 96.3% to 111.4% in cosmetics were also studied, respectively. Furthermore, the proposed method were statistically compared with the reported conventional IL-DLLME method and the National standard methods of food safety and cosmetics. The experimental results showed that the functionalized MIL could successfully applied for extraction, separation and pretreatment of estrogens in milk and cosmetics.

Structural and physical properties of a new reversible and continuous thermochromic ionic liquid in a wide temperature interval: [BMIM]4[Ni(NCS)6]

Continuous and reversible solar-responsive thermochromism in [BMIM]₄[Ni(NCS)₆], an ionic liquid that withstands numerous heating–cooling cycles.

Thermochromism and switchable paramagnetism of cobalt(II) in thiocyanate ionic liquids

Temperature-dependent switching of paramagnetism of a cobalt(II) complex is observed in an ionic liquid solution. Paramagnetic and thermochromic switching occur simultaneously due to a reversible change in coordination. This reversible switching is possible in the ionic liquid solution, which enables mobility of thiocyanate anions by remaining mobile at low temperatures and acts as an anion reservoir.

Colorless organometallic ionic liquids from cationic ruthenium sandwich complexes: thermal properties, liquid properties, and crystal structures of [Ru(η(5)-C5H5)(η(6)-C6H5R)][X] (X = N(SO2CF3)2, N(SO2F)2, PF6)

A series of ionic liquids containing cationic ruthenium complexes ([Ru(C5H5)(C6H5R)](+)) were prepared, and their thermal properties were investigated (R = C4H9 (1a), C8H17 (1b), OCH2OCH3 (2a), O(CH2CH2O)2CH3 (2b), O(CH2)3CN (3a), O(CH2)6CN (3b), CO(CH2)2CH3 (4a), CO(CH2)6CH3 (4b)). Bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide (TFSA) and bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide (FSA) were used as counter anions. These ionic liquids were colorless and stable toward air and light. These salts exhibited glass transitions upon cooling from the melt (Tg = −82 °C to −55 °C), and the glass transition temperatures of the salts increased as the polarity of the substituents increased (alkyl < ether < cyano < carbonyl). The decomposition temperatures decreased in the order of alkyl > cyano > carbonyl > ether. The viscosities, solvent polarities, and refractive indices of the salts of 1a and 2a were also evaluated. Hexafluorophosphate (PF6) salts were also prepared, which were solids with high melting points (Tm = 65–127 °C). X-ray crystal structure analyses of these salts revealed the importance of intermolecular contacts involving the ring hydrogens. The PF6 salt of 2a exhibited an order–disorder phase transition.