Ionic liquids are salts that are liquid at low temperature (<100 degrees C) which represent a new class of solvents with nonmolecular, ionic character. Even though the first representative has been known since 1914, ionic liquids have only been investigated as solvents for transition metal catalysis in the past ten years. Publications to date show that replacing an organic solvent by an ionic liquid can lead to remarkable improvements in well-known processes. Ionic liquids form biphasic systems with many organic product mixtures. This gives rise to the possibility of a multiphase reaction procedure with easy isolation and recovery of homogeneous catalysts. In addition, ionic liquids have practically no vapor pressure which facilitates product separation by distillation. There are also indications that switching from a normal organic solvent to an ionic liquid can lead to novel and unusual chemical reactivity. This opens up a wide field for future investigations into this new class of solvents in catalytic applications.

Ionic Liquids-New "Solutions" for Transition Metal Catalysis.

Characterization and comparison of hydrophilic and hydrophobic room temperature ionic liquids incorporating the imidazolium cation

http://yaghi.berkeley.edu/pdfPublications/04MOFs.pdf

Metal-organic frameworks: a new class of porous materials

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is broadly recognised as having the potential to play a key role in meeting climate change targets, delivering low carbon heat and power, decarbonising industry and, more recently, its ability to facilitate the net removal of CO2 from the atmosphere. However, despite this broad consensus and its technical maturity, CCS has not yet been deployed on a scale commensurate with the ambitions articulated a decade ago. Thus, in this paper we review the current state-of-the-art of CO2 capture, transport, utilisation and storage from a multi-scale perspective, moving from the global to molecular scales. In light of the COP21 commitments to limit warming to less than 2 °C, we extend the remit of this study to include the key negative emissions technologies (NETs) of bioenergy with CCS (BECCS), and direct air capture (DAC). Cognisant of the non-technical barriers to deploying CCS, we reflect on recent experience from the UK's CCS commercialisation programme and consider the commercial and political barriers to the large-scale deployment of CCS. In all areas, we focus on identifying and clearly articulating the key research challenges that could usefully be addressed in the coming decade.

/pdf/carbon-capture-and-storage-ccs-the-way-forward-11rgsqyer0.pdf

Carbon capture and storage (CCS): the way forward

Polycatenation, polythreading and polyknotting in coordination network chemistry

Room temperature ionic liquids as novel media for ‘clean’ liquid–liquid extraction

The design of predictable multichromophoric supramolecular arrays of freebase and metallo porphyrins constitutes an essential first step toward the synthesis of light-harvesting complexes. We now report crystal engineering strategies to achieve the synthesis of controllable and predictable porphyrinic multichromophores in the solid state. The coordination complexes of metal halides, MX2 (M = Cd, Hg, Pb; X = Br, I), with freebase tetrapyridylporphyrin (TPyP) form either 1D, [(HgX2)2TPyP]·2TCE, 1, or 2D, [(MX2)TPyP]·4TCE, (M = Pb, 2; Cd, 3) polymeric networks. The porphyrin cavities in these crystalline networks can be selectively populated with various metal cations to generate ordered multiporphyrinic supramolecular arrays without distorting the coordination networks, either by (a) crystallizing the metal halides and TPyP in the presence of suitable metal salts or by (b) reacting metal halides with a mixture of freebase and metallo porphyrins in specific stoichiometric ratios. A design limit has been reac...

Design strategies for solid-state supramolecular arrays containing both mixed-metalated and freebase porphyrins

Metal ion separations in polyethylene glycol-based aqueous biphasic systems: correlation of partitioning behavior with available thermodynamic hydration data

Toward the design of porous organic solids : modular honeycomb grids sustained by anions of trimesic acid

Several liquid-phase extraction technologies employing environmentally benign phase- or micelle-forming polymers in aqueous solution have the potential to replace volatile organic compounds in classical solvent extraction technologies. The examples reviewed here include aqueous biphasic systems, cloud-point extraction, micellar extraction, and thermoseparating polymer systems. The apparent similarities of these systems, their phase-separating properties, and their ability to solubilize a wide variety of solutes ranging from metal ions, organic compounds, and biologicals are discussed. Some comparative data from the literature whereby the solvating power of these systems may be compared to traditional solvents are presented along with new data on the polarity of the phases in typical aqueous biphasic systems. The need for additional comparative data in this area and the need to demonstrate the validity of the approach in operational processes are emphasized. A “toolbox” approach to implementing environment...

Robin D. Rogers

Papers

Room temperature ionic liquids as novel media for ‘clean’ liquid–liquid extraction

Design strategies for solid-state supramolecular arrays containing both mixed-metalated and freebase porphyrins

Metal ion separations in polyethylene glycol-based aqueous biphasic systems: correlation of partitioning behavior with available thermodynamic hydration data

Toward the design of porous organic solids : modular honeycomb grids sustained by anions of trimesic acid

Aqueous Polymeric Solutions as Environmentally Benign Liquid/Liquid Extraction Media