Effect of Alkyl Chain Branching on Physicochemical Properties of Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jced.5b00658
• Publication Date: 2016-02-24T20:53:29Z
• Authors: Lianjie Xue; Eshan Gurung; George Tamas; Yung P. Koh; Michael Shadeck; Sindee L. Simon; Mark Maroncelli; Edward L. Quitevis
• Keywords: 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology

The branched ionic liquids (ILs) 1-(iso-alkyl)-3-methylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethane)sulfonyl]amide ([(N – 2)mCN-1C1im][NTf2] with N = 3–7) were synthesized and their physicochemical properties characterized and compared with the properties of linear ILs 1-(n-alkyl)-3-methylimidazolium bis[(trifluoromethane)sulfonyl]amide ([CNC1im][NTf2] with N = 3–7). For N = 4–7, the density of the branched IL [(N – 2)mCN–1C1im][NTf2] is the same as that of its linear analogue [CNC1im][NTf2] within the standard uncertainty of the measurements. In the case of the N = 3 [1mC2C1im][NTf2]/[C3C1im][NTf2] pair, the density of the branched IL is 0.13% higher than that of the linear IL. For a branched/linear IL pair with a given N, the glass transition temperature Tg, melting temperature Tm, and viscosity η are higher for the branched IL than for the linear IL. [2mC3C1im][NTf2] is an exception in that its Tm is lower than that of [C4C1im][NTf2]. Moreover, the viscosity of [2mC3C1im][NTf2] is anomalously higher than what wou...