Electrodeposition of zinc nanoplates from an ionic liquid composed of 1-butylpyrrolidine and ZnCl2: electrochemical, in situ AFM and spectroscopic studies

Atomic force microscopy probing interactions and microstructures of ionic liquids at solid surfaces

Ionic liquids (ILs) are room temperature molten salts that possess preeminent physicochemical properties and have shown great potential in many applications. However, the use of ILs in surface-dependent processes, e.g. energy storage, is hindered by the lack of a systematic understanding of the IL interfacial microstructure. ILs on the solid surface display rich ordering, arising from coulombic, van der Waals, solvophobic interactions, etc., all giving near-surface ILs distinct microstructures. Therefore, it is highly important to clarify the interactions of ILs with solid surfaces at the nanoscale to understand the microstructure and mechanism, providing quantitative structure-property relationships. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) opens a surface-sensitive way to probe the interaction force of ILs with solid surfaces in the layers from sub-nanometers to micrometers. Herein, this review showcases the recent progress of AFM in probing interactions and microstructures of ILs at solid interfaces, and the influence of IL characteristics, surface properties and external stimuli is thereafter discussed. Finally, a summary and perspectives are established, in which, the necessities of the quantification of IL-solid interactions at the molecular level, the development of in situ techniques closely coupled with AFM for probing IL-solid interfaces, and the combination of experiments and simulations are argued.

One-pot three-component synthesis of 1-amidoalkyl naphthols and polyhydroquinolines using a deep eutectic solvent: a green method and mechanistic insight

The multicomponent synthesis of 1-amidoalkyl naphthols and polyhydroquinolines has been developed as an atom-economic procedure catalyzed by a deep eutectic solvent ([CholineCl][ZnCl₂]₃).

Potential Application of Ionic Liquids for Electrodeposition of the Material Targets for Production of Diagnostic Radioisotopes

An overview of the reported electrochemistry studies on the chemistry of the element for targets for isotope production in ionic liquids (ILs) is provided. The majority of investigations have been dedicated to two aspects of the reactive element chemistry. The first part of this review presents description of the cyclotron targets properties, especially physicochemical characterization of irradiated elements. The second part is devoted to description of the electrodeposition procedures leading to obtain elements or their alloys coatings (e.g., nickel, uranium) as the targets for cyclotron and reactor generation of the radioisotopes. This review provides an evaluation of the role ILs can have in the production of isotopes.

Progress in Electrodeposition of Zinc and Zinc Nickel Alloys Using Ionic Liquids

Zinc (Zn) and zinc–nickel (Zn–Ni) electrodeposition has been widely used in many industries, such as automotive and aerospace, for corrosion protection of steel components owing to their excellent corrosion resistance. Conventional zinc and zinc–nickel electrodeposition is performed in different types of aqueous baths (acid and alkaline). Such electrolytes suffer from certain drawbacks such as hydrogen gas evolution, low coulombic efficiencies, and environmental toxicity. Electrodeposition of Zn and Zn–Ni alloys from ionic liquids has gained significant attention in aerospace and automotive sectors owing to the different environments they provide for electrodeposition. This paper reviews the progress in deposition of zinc and zinc-nickel alloys in non-aqueous systems, especially ionic liquids. In addition, the challenges and technological developments associated with the Zn and Zn–Ni deposition on different substrates and the factors that need to be considered while electroplating at an industrial scale are discussed.

One-pot synthesis of 1-butylpyrrolidine and its derivatives from aqueous ammonia and 1,4-butandiol over CuNiPd/ZSM-5 catalysts

A straightforward and economical route for 1-butylpyrrolidine over CuNiPd/ZSM-5 catalysts.

The origin of the conductivity maximum in molten salts. III. Zinc halides

In a continuing effort to master the reasons for conductivity maxima vs temperature in semicovalent molten halides, the structure and some transport properties of molten zinc halide are examined with ab initio molecular dynamics. Molten zinc halides are a special class of molten salts, being extremely viscous near their melting point (with a glassy state below it) and low electrical conductivity, and since they are also known (ZnI₂) or predicted (ZnBr₂ and ZnCl₂) to exhibit conductivity maxima, they would be useful additional cases to probe, in case the reasons for their maxima are unique. Strong attractive forces in ZnX₂ result in tight tetrahedral coordination, and the known mixture of edge-sharing vs corner-sharing ZnX₄ tetrahedra is observed. In the series zinc chloride → bromide → iodide, (i) the ratio of edge-sharing vs corner-sharing tetrahedra increases, (ii) the diffusion coefficient of Zn²⁺ increases, and (iii) the diffusion coefficient of the anion stays roughly constant. A discussion of conductivity, with focus on the Walden product W = ηΛ_e, is presented. With predicted Haven ratios of 1-15 when heated toward their conductivity maxima, the physical chemistry behind molten zinc halide conductivity does not appear to be fundamentally different from other semicovalent molten halides.

A structure–activity relationship study using DFT analysis of Bronsted–Lewis acidic ionic liquids and synergistic effect of dual acidity in one-pot conversion of glucose to value-added chemicals

The catalytic conversion of biomass-derived carbohydrates to value-added chemicals, such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, levulinic acid, and formic acid, is a commercially important reaction and requires the use of both Lewis and Bronsted acids.

Real-time in situ dynamic sub-surface imaging of multi-component electrodeposited films using event mode neutron reflectivity

We investigate the deposition, evolution and dissolution of single and two-component metal layers on Au substrates immersed in the deep eutectic solvent Ethaline.

A green and efficient method for the synthesis of pyrroles using a deep eutectic solvent ([CholineCl][ZnCl2]3) under solvent-free sonication

A green and efficient method for Paal–Knorr pyrrole synthesis has been developed under mild conditions.