In contrast to a recently expressed, and widely cited, view that “Ionic liquids are starting to leave academic labs and find their way into a wide variety of industrial applications”, we demonstrate in this critical review that there have been parallel and collaborative exchanges between academic research and industrial developments since the materials were first reported in 1914 (148 references)

Applications of ionic liquids in the chemical industry

Ionic liquids are room-temperature molten salts, composed mostly of organic ions that may undergo almost unlimited structural variations. This review covers the newest aspects of ionic liquids in applications where their ion conductivity is exploited; as electrochemical solvents for metal/semiconductor electrodeposition, and as batteries and fuel cells where conventional media, organic solvents (in batteries) or water (in polymer-electrolyte-membrane fuel cells), fail. Biology and biomimetic processes in ionic liquids are also discussed. In these decidedly different materials, some enzymes show activity that is not exhibited in more traditional systems, creating huge potential for bioinspired catalysis and biofuel cells. Our goal in this review is to survey the recent key developments and issues within ionic-liquid research in these areas. As well as informing materials scientists, we hope to generate interest in the wider community and encourage others to make use of ionic liquids in tackling scientific challenges.

Ionic-liquid materials for the electrochemical challenges of the future.

Methods used to strengthen metals generally also cause a pronounced decrease in electrical conductivity, so that a tradeoff must be made between conductivity and mechanical strength. We synthesized pure copper samples with a high density of nanoscale growth twins. They showed a tensile strength about 10 times higher than that of conventional coarse-grained copper, while retaining an electrical conductivity comparable to that of pure copper. The ultrahigh strength originates from the effective blockage of dislocation motion by numerous coherent twin boundaries that possess an extremely low electrical resistivity, which is not the case for other types of grain boundaries.

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/304/5669/422.full.pdf

Ultrahigh strength and high electrical conductivity in copper

and Fuels Changzhi Li,† Xiaochen Zhao,† Aiqin Wang,† George W. Huber,†,‡ and Tao Zhang*,† †State Key Laborotary of Catalysis, iChEM (Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials), Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China ‡Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of WisconsinMadison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States

Catalytic Transformation of Lignin for the Production of Chemicals and Fuels

▪ Abstract The structural and chemical parameters determining the formation and mobility of protonic defects in oxides are discussed, and the paramount role of high-molar volume, coordination numbers, and symmetry are emphasized. Symmetry also relates to the structural and chemical matching of the acceptor dopant. Y-doped BaZrO3-based oxides are demonstrated to combine high stability with high proton conductivity that exceeds the conductivity of the best oxide ion conductors at temperatures below about 700°C. The unfavorably high grain boundary impedances and brittleness of ceramics have been reduced by forming solid solutions with small amounts of BaCeO3, and an initial fuel cell test has demonstrated that proton-conducting electrolytes based on Y-doped BaZrO3 provide alternatives for separator materials in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). These materials have the potential to operate at lower temperatures compared with those of conventional SOFCs, and the appearance of chemical water diffusion across the...

Proton-conducting oxides

Electrodeposition of nanocrystalline metals and alloys from ionic liquids

Pulsed electrodeposition is a simple, yet versatile method for the production of nanostructured metals. For n-nickel we determine the influence of the physical and chemical deposition parameters on the nanostructure of the deposits and demonstrate that the grain size can be tuned to values between 13 and 93 nm, with rather narrow grain size distribution. The thermal stability of our n-nickel as studied by x-ray diffraction and differential thermal analysis exhibits no detectable grain growth up to temperatures of about 380 K and an initial 
$$\sqrt t $$

 behavior at 503 K followed by a regime of anomalous grain growth. For nanocrystalline Ni1-x Cux (Monel-metal™) we demonstrate that alloy formation occurs at room temperature and that both chemical composition and grain size can be controlled by the pulse parameters and by appropriate organic additives.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0884291400044058

Nanocrystalline nickel and nickel-copper alloys: Synthesis, characterization, and thermal stability

The nanostructure of nano-metals prepared by pulsed electrodeposition is to a large extent adjustable by the appropriate choice of physical and chemical parameters of the electrolysis. For nano-Pd we have demonstrated recently how the shape of the current pulses influences the grain size. Here we focus on the effects of organic additives, bath temperature, and pH on the nanostructure of nano-copper.

Nanocrystalline Copper by Pulsed Electrodeposition: The Effects of Organic Additives, Bath Temperature, and pH

Pulsed electrodeposition (PED) is used to prepare nanocrystalline iron with an average grain size of 19 nm and thermal stability up to 550 K. At 663 K ≤ T ≤ 783 K the kinetics of grain growth, with respect to size and size distribution, is studied in situ by means of real-time synchrotron X-ray diffraction. The Bragg peak line shapes of the large number of diffractograms are analyzed using a Warren/Averbach procedure improved with respect to reliability and efficiency. We observe two regimes of grain growth:  at less elevated temperatures grain growth is smooth and moderate up to limiting size values between 50 and 100 nm, depending on temperature. The initially rather narrow width of the size distribution increases slightly, and the activation energy of grain growth, about 100 kJ/mol, corresponds to the literature value for grain boundary self-diffusion in nanocrystalline Fe. At higher temperatures the grains grow first rapidly and then slowly up to limiting values between 200 and 400 nm, depending on te...

Grain-growth kinetics of nanocrystalline iron studied in situ by synchrotron real-time X-ray diffraction

The present work shows, for the first time, a comparative experimental study on the electrodeposition of aluminium in three different water and air stable ionic liquids, namely 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium-bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([BMP]Tf2N), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium-bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([EMIm] Tf2N), and trihexyl-tetradecyl-phosphoniumbis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (P(14,6,6,6) Tf2N). The ionic liquids [BMP]Tf2N and [EMIm]Tf2N show biphasic behaviour in the AlCl3 concentration range from 1.6 to 2.5 mol L(-1) and 2.5 to 5 mol L(-1), respectively. The biphasic mixtures become monophasic at temperatures >/=80 degrees C. It was found that nanocrystalline aluminium can be electrodeposited in the ionic liquid [BMP]Tf2N saturated with AlCl3. The deposits obtained are generally uniform, dense, shining, and adherent with very fine crystallites in the nanometer size regime. However, coarse cubic-shaped aluminium particles in the micrometer range are obtained in the ionic liquid [EMIm]Tf2N. In this liquid the particle size significantly increases as the temperature rises. A very thin, mirrorlike aluminium film containing very fine crystallites of about 20 nm is obtained in the ionic liquid [trihexyl-tetradecyl-phosphonium]Tf(2)N at room temperature. At 150 degrees C, the average grain size is found to be 35 nm.

Rolf Hempelmann

Papers

Electrodeposition of nanocrystalline metals and alloys from ionic liquids

Nanocrystalline nickel and nickel-copper alloys: Synthesis, characterization, and thermal stability

Nanocrystalline Copper by Pulsed Electrodeposition: The Effects of Organic Additives, Bath Temperature, and pH

Grain-growth kinetics of nanocrystalline iron studied in situ by synchrotron real-time X-ray diffraction

Electrodeposition of nano- and microcrystalline aluminium in three different air and water stable ionic liquids.