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Electrochemistry of room temperature protic ionic liquids
Chuan Zhao1, Geoff Burrell, Angel A J Torriero
1School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry. B
|May 21, 2008
Summary
Eighteen protic ionic liquids were synthesized and characterized. Their electrochemical properties were evaluated, revealing challenges in highly viscous room temperature protic ionic liquids for potential industrial applications.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Materials Science
- Physical Chemistry
Background:
- Protic ionic liquids (PILs) are tunable solvents with potential applications in various electrochemical systems.
- Understanding the physicochemical and electrochemical properties of PILs is crucial for their practical implementation.
- Room temperature protic ionic liquids (RTPILs) offer unique advantages due to their liquid state at ambient conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize eighteen novel protic ionic liquids with varying cations and anions.
- To investigate the electrochemical behavior of eight room temperature protic ionic liquids (RTPILs).
- To assess the influence of electrode material and water content on the properties of RTPILs.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis and physicochemical property determination (hydrophobicity, viscosity, conductivity).
- Electrochemical characterization using cyclic voltammetry, microelectrode voltammetry, and rotating disk electrode voltammetry.
- Evaluation of potential windows across different electrode materials (glassy carbon, platinum, gold, boron-doped diamond) and reference systems (ferrocene/ferrocenium, cobaltocenium/cobaltocene).
Main Results:
- Synthesized 18 PILs, with 8 identified as RTPILs.
- Glassy carbon electrodes provided the largest potential windows for RTPILs.
- Viscosity significantly impacts the performance of reference systems and voltammetric studies; water content affects potential windows, viscosity, and diffusion.
Conclusions:
- Highly viscous RTPILs present challenges for accurate voltammetric analysis.
- Electrode material selection is critical for optimizing potential windows.
- Further research is needed to overcome limitations for the industrial application of viscous RTPILs.
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