Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 15, 2026

06:44
From Molecules to Materials: Engineering New Ionic Liquid Crystals Through Halogen Bonding
Published on: March 24, 2018
Amphiphilic behavior of two phosphonium based ionic liquids.
Indrajyoti Mukherjee1, Suvasree Mukherjee, Bappaditya Naskar
1Centre for Surface Science, Department of Chemistry, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India.
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
|January 16, 2013
Summary
Two phosphonium-based ionic liquids (ILs) exhibit distinct solution and surface behaviors. IL-1 shows anti-cancer activity, while both ILs form stable microemulsions, offering potential in various applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Physical Chemistry
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Ionic liquids (ILs) are versatile materials with tunable properties.
- Understanding their solution and surface behavior is crucial for application development.
- Phosphonium-based ILs offer unique characteristics compared to imidazolium counterparts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the solution and surface chemical behavior of two phosphonium-based ionic liquids: triisobutyl (methyl) phosphonium tosylate (IL-1) and trihexyl (tetradecyl) phosphonium bis 2,4,4-(trimethylpentyl)phosphinate (IL-2).
- To explore their potential in forming microemulsions and their anti-cancer activity.
- To characterize the resulting microemulsion systems and assess their thermal stability.
Main Methods:
- Surface activity and solubility measurements.
- Micellization studies with various surfactants.
- Langmuir monolayer formation at the air/water interface.
- Microemulsion formation and characterization using pseudoternary phase diagrams.
- Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) for droplet size and polydispersity.
- Thermodynamic analysis of microemulsion formation.
- In vitro anti-cancer activity testing against Sarcoma-180 cell lines.
Main Results:
- IL-1 is polar, water-soluble, and surface-active, while IL-2 is weakly polar, less soluble, and more surface-active.
- IL-1 influences surfactant micellization more than conventional electrolytes; IL-2 forms micelles and mixed micelles.
- Both ILs facilitate the formation of stable microemulsions with oil (isopropylmyristate) and co-surfactants, exhibiting large monophasic zones.
- DLS confirmed nano-droplet formation with varying dimensions and polydispersity.
- IL-1 demonstrated proficient anti-cancer activity, while IL-2 showed moderate activity against Sarcoma-180 cells.
Conclusions:
- The distinct physicochemical properties of IL-1 and IL-2 enable diverse applications, from microemulsion formulation to potential therapeutics.
- Phosphonium-based ILs offer unique advantages in micellar and interfacial phenomena.
- The studied ILs present promising candidates for advanced material applications and possess significant anti-cancer potential.
Related Concept Videos
Alkyl Halides
Structural Properties
Alkyl halides are halogen-substituted alkanes wherein one or more hydrogen atoms of an alkane is replaced by a halogen atom such as fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or iodine. The carbon atom in an alkyl halide is bonded to the halogen atom, which is sp3-hybridized and exhibits a tetrahedral shape.
Unlike alkyl halides, compounds in which a halogen atom is bonded to an sp2 -hybridized carbon atom of a carbon-carbon double bond (C=C) are called vinyl halides. Whereas aryl...
Alkyl halides are halogen-substituted alkanes wherein one or more hydrogen atoms of an alkane is replaced by a halogen atom such as fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or iodine. The carbon atom in an alkyl halide is bonded to the halogen atom, which is sp3-hybridized and exhibits a tetrahedral shape.
Unlike alkyl halides, compounds in which a halogen atom is bonded to an sp2 -hybridized carbon atom of a carbon-carbon double bond (C=C) are called vinyl halides. Whereas aryl...
Intermolecular Forces
Atoms and molecules interact through bonds (or forces): intramolecular and intermolecular. The forces are electrostatic as they arise from interactions (attractive or repulsive) between charged species (permanent, partial, or temporary charges) and exist with varying strengths between ions, polar, nonpolar, and neutral molecules. The different types of intermolecular forces are ion–dipole, dipole–dipole, hydrogen bonds, and dispersion; among these, dipole–dipole, hydrogen bonds, and dispersion...
Ion Exchange
Ion exchange chromatography separates charged molecules from a solution by reversibly exchanging them with mobile, or 'active', ions associated with the oppositely charged stationary phase. This method can be used to separate ions, soften and deionize water, and purify solutions. The polymers comprising the ion-exchange column are high-molecular-weight and chemically stable polymers, crosslinked to be porous and essentially insoluble. They are also functionalized with either acidic or basic...
Electrophilic Addition to Alkynes: Halogenation
Introduction
Halogenation is another class of electrophilic addition reactions where a halogen molecule gets added across a π bond. In alkynes, the presence of two π bonds allows for the addition of two equivalents of halogens (bromine or chlorine). The addition of the first halogen molecule forms a trans-dihaloalkene as the major product and the cis isomer as the minor product. Subsequent addition of the second equivalent yields the tetrahalide.
Halogenation is another class of electrophilic addition reactions where a halogen molecule gets added across a π bond. In alkynes, the presence of two π bonds allows for the addition of two equivalents of halogens (bromine or chlorine). The addition of the first halogen molecule forms a trans-dihaloalkene as the major product and the cis isomer as the minor product. Subsequent addition of the second equivalent yields the tetrahalide.
Surface Active Agents
Surfactants, named for their behavior at interfaces, positively adsorb at the interfaces of two phases, reducing interfacial tension. Their versatility as emulsifiers, detergents, and foaming agents stems from this ability. Surfactants, often termed amphiphiles, share the property of amphipathy, with molecules having both hydrophilic and hydrophobic portions. The hydrophilic part is called the head, and the hydrophobic part, including an elongated alkyl substituent, forms the tail.Surfactants...
Nucleophiles
The word “nucleophile” has a Greek root and translates to nucleus-loving. Nucleophiles are either negatively charged or neutral species with a pair of electrons in a high-energy occupied molecular orbital (HOMO). As these species tend to donate electron pairs, nucleophiles are considered Lewis bases as well. Negatively charged species, like OH−, Cl−, or HS−, with one or several pairs of electrons, are typically nucleophiles. Similarly, neutral species such as ammonia, amines, water, and alcohol...

