Protic Ionic Liquids: Properties and Applications

In recent years, Carbon Capture and Storage (Sequestration) (CCS) has been proposed as a potential method to allow the continued use of fossil-fuelled power stations whilst preventing emissions of CO2 from reaching the atmosphere. Gas, coal (and biomass)-fired power stations can respond to changes in demand more readily than many other sources of electricity production, hence the importance of retaining them as an option in the energy mix. Here, we review the leading CO2 capture technologies, available in the short and long term, and their technological maturity, before discussing CO2 transport and storage. Current pilot plants and demonstrations are highlighted, as is the importance of optimising the CCS system as a whole. Other topics briefly discussed include the viability of both the capture of CO2 from the air and CO2 reutilisation as climate change mitigation strategies. Finally, we discuss the economic and legal aspects of CCS.

Carbon capture and storage update

The current interest in ionic liquids (ILs) is motivated by some unique properties, such as negligible vapour pressure, thermal stability and non-flammability, combined with high ionic conductivity and wide electrochemical stability window. However, for material applications, there is a challenging need for immobilizing ILs in solid devices, while keeping their specific properties. In this critical review, ionogels are presented as a new class of hybrid materials, in which the properties of the IL are hybridized with those of another component, which may be organic (low molecular weight gelator, (bio)polymer), inorganic (e.g.carbon nanotubes, silicaetc.) or hybrid organic–inorganic (e.g.polymer and inorganic fillers). Actually, ILs act as structuring media during the formation of inorganic ionogels, their intrinsic organization and physicochemical properties influencing the building of the solid host network. Conversely, some effects of confinement can modify some properties of the guest IL, even though liquid-like dynamics and ion mobility are preserved. Ionogels, which keep the main properties of ILs except outflow, while allowing easy shaping, considerably enlarge the array of applications of ILs. Thus, they form a promising family of solid electrolyte membranes, which gives access to all-solid devices, a topical industrial challenge in domains such as lithium batteries, fuel cells and dye-sensitized solar cells. Replacing conventional media, organic solvents in lithium batteries or water in proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), by low-vapour-pressure and non flammable ILs presents major advantages such as improved safety and a higher operating temperature range. Implementation of ILs in separation techniques, where they benefit from huge advantages as well, relies again on the development of supported IL membranes such as ionogels. Moreover, functionalization of ionogels can be achieved both by incorporation of organic functions in the solid matrix, and by encapsulation of molecular species (from metal complexes to enzymes) in the immobilized IL phase, which opens new routes for designing advanced materials, especially (bio)catalytic membranes, sensors and drug release systems (194 references).

Ionogels, ionic liquid based hybrid materials

Conventional synthesis of inorganic materials relies heavily on water and organic solvents. Alternatively, the synthesis of inorganic materials using, or in the presence of, ionic liquids represents a burgeoning direction in materials chemistry. Use of ionic liquids in solvent extraction and organic catalysis has been extensively studied, but their use in inorganic synthesis has just begun. Ionic liquids are a family of non-conventional molten salts that can act as templates and precursors to inorganic materials, as well as solvents. They offer many advantages, such as negligible vapor pressures, wide liquidus ranges, good thermal stability, tunable solubility for both organic and inorganic molecules, and much synthetic flexibility. In this Review, the use of ionic liquids in the preparation of several categories of inorganic and hybrid materials (i.e., metal structures, non-metal elements, silicas, organosilicas, metal oxides, metal chalcogenides, metal salts, open-framework structures, ionic liquid-functionalized materials, and supported ionic liquids) is summarized. The status quo of the research field is assessed, and some future perspectives are furnished.

Preparation of Inorganic Materials Using Ionic Liquids

Ionic liquids (ILs), considered to be a relatively recent magical chemical due their unique properties, have a large variety of applications in all areas of the chemical industries. The areas of application include electrolyte in batteries, lubricants, plasticizers, solvents and catalysis in synthesis, matrices for mass spectroscopy, solvents to manufacture nano-materials, extraction, gas absorption agents, etc. Non-volatility and non-flammability are their common characteristics giving them an advantageous edge in various applications. This common advantage, when considered with the possibility of tuning the chemical and physical properties of ILs by changing anion–cation combination is a great opportunity to obtain task-specific ILs for a multitude of specific applications. There are numerous studies in the related literature concerning the unique properties, preparation methods, and different applications of ILs in the literature. In this review, a general description of ILs and historical background are given; basic properties of ILs such as solvent properties, polarity, toxicology, air and moisture stability are discussed; structure of ILs, cation, anion types and synthesis methods in the related literature are briefly summarized. However, the main focus of this paper is how ILs may be used in the chemicals processing industries. Thus, the main application areas are searched and the basic applications such as solvent replacement, purification of gases, homogenous and heterogeneous catalysis, biological reactions media and removal of metal ions are discussed in detail. Not only the advantages of ILs but also the essential challenges and potentials for using ILs in the chemical industries are also addressed. ILs have become the partner of scCO 2 in many applications and most of the reported studies in the literature focus on the interaction of these two green solvents, i.e. ILs and scCO 2 . The chemistry of the ILs has been reviewed in numerous papers earlier. Therefore, the major purpose of this review paper is to provide an overview for the specific chemical and physical properties of ILs and to investigate IL–scCO 2 systems in some detail. Recovery of solutes from ILs with CO 2 , separation of ILs from organic solvents by CO 2 , high-pressure phase behavior of IL–scCO 2 systems, solubility of ILs in CO 2 phase, and the interaction of the IL–scCO 2 system at molecular level are also included.

A review of ionic liquids towards supercritical fluid applications

New generation ionic liquids: cations derived from amino acids

Two families of a new generation of ionic liquids, in which the chiral cations are directly derived from naturally occurring α-amino acids and α-amino acid ester salts, have been obtained via very simple preparations.

Ning Sun

Papers

New generation ionic liquids: cations derived from amino acids

New Generation Ionic Liquids: Cations Derived from Amino Acids.

Ion liquid of amino acid ester cation and a preparation method thereof