Highly luminescent and color-tunable salicylate ionic liquids

High quantum yields of up to 40.5% can be achieved in salicylate-bearing ionic liquids. A range of these ionic liquids have been synthesized and their photoluminescent properties studied in detail. The differences noted can be related back to the structure of the ionic liquid cation and possible interionic interactions. It is found that shifts of emission, particularly in the pyridinium-based ionic liquids, can be related to cation-anion pairing interactions. Facile and controlled emission color mixing is demonstrated through combining different ILs, with emission colors ranging from blue to yellow.