PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

John D Holbrey

Publications and source records attributed to John D Holbrey.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

In search of ionic liquids incorporating azolate anions.

Twenty-eight novel salts with tetramethyl-, tetraethyl-, and tetrabutylammonium and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium cations paired with 3,5-dinitro-1,2,4-triazolate, 4-nitro-1,2,3-triazolate, 2,4-dinitroimidazolate, 4,5-dinitroimidazolate, 4,5-dicyanoimidazolate, 4-nitroimidazolate, and tetrazolate anions have been prepared and characterized by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The effects of cation and anion type and structure on the physicochemical properties of the resulting salts, including several ionic liquids, have been examined and discussed. Ionic liquids (defined as having m.p.<100 degrees C) were obtained with all combinations of the 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium cation ([C(4)mim](+)) and the heterocyclic azolate anions studied, and with several combinations of tetraethyl or tetrabutylammonium cations and the azolate anions. The [C(4)mim](+) azolates were liquid at room temperature exhibiting large liquid ranges and forming glasses on cooling with glass-transition temperatures in the range of -53 to -82 degrees C (except for the 3,5-dinitro-1,2,4-triazolate salt with m.p. 33 degrees C). Six crystal structures of the corresponding tetraalkylammonium salts were determined and the effects of changes to the cations and anions on the packing of the structure have been investigated.

Journal Article↗

Combustible ionic liquids by design: is laboratory safety another ionic liquid myth?

The non-flammability of ionic liquids (ILs) is often highlighted as a safety advantage of ILs over volatile organic compounds (VOCs), but the fact that many ILs are not flammable themselves does not mean that they are safe to use near fire and/or heat sources; a large group of ILs (including commercially available ILs) are combustible due to the nature of their positive heats of formation, oxygen content, and decomposition products.

Journal Article↗

Prediction of the formation and stabilities of energetic salts and ionic liquids based on ab initio electronic structure calculations.

A computational approach to predict the thermodynamics for forming a variety of imidazolium-based salts and ionic liquids from typical starting materials is described. The gas-phase proton and methyl cation acidities of several protonating and methylating agents, as well as the proton and methyl cation affinities of many important methyl-, nitro-, and cyano-substituted imidazoles, have been calculated reliably by using the computationally feasible DFT (B3LYP) and MP2 (extrapolated to the complete basis set limit) methods. These accurately calculated proton and methyl cation affinities of neutrals and anions are used in conjunction with an empirical approach based on molecular volumes to estimate the lattice enthalpies and entropies of ionic liquids, organic solids, and organic liquids. These quantities were used to construct a thermodynamic cycle for salt formation to reliably predict the ability to synthesize a variety of salts including ones with potentially high energetic densities. An adjustment of the gas phase thermodynamic cycle to account for solid- and liquid-phase chemistries provides the best overall assessment of salt formation and stability. This has been applied to imidazoles (the cation to be formed) with alkyl, nitro, and cyano substituents. The proton and methyl cation donors studied were as follows: HCl, HBr, HI, (HO)2SO2, HSO3CF3 (TfOH), and HSO3(C6H4)CH3 (TsOH); CH3Cl, CH3Br, CH3I, (CH3O)2SO2, CH3SO3CF3 (TfOCH3), and CH3SO3(C6H4)CH3 (TsOCH3). As substitution of the cation with electron-withdrawing groups increases, the triflate reagents appear to be the best overall choice as protonating and methylating agents. Even stronger alkylating agents should be considered to enhance the chances of synthetic success. When using the enthalpies of reaction for the gas-phase reactants (eq 6) to form a salt, a cutoff value of -13 kcal mol(-1) or lower (more negative) should be used as the minimum value for predicting whether a salt can be synthesized.

Journal Article↗

Identical extraction behavior and coordination of trivalent or hexavalent f-element cations using ionic liquid and molecular solvents.

The extraction of both UO2(2+) and trivalent lanthanide and actinide ions (Am3+, Nd3+, Eu3+) by dialkylphosphoric or dialkylphosphinic acids from aqueous solutions into the ionic liquid, 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide has been studied and compared to extractions into dodecane. Radiotracer partitioning measurements show comparable patterns of distribution ratios for both the ionic liquid/aqueous and dodecane/aqueous systems, and the limiting slopes at low acidity indicate the partitioning of neutral complexes in both solvent systems. The metal ion coordination environment, elucidated from EXAFS and UV-visible spectroscopy measurements, is equivalent in the ionic liquid and dodecane solutions with coordination of the uranyl cation by two hydrogen-bonded extractant dimers, and of the trivalent cations by three extractant dimers. This is the first definitive report of a system where both the biphasic extraction equilibria and metal coordination environment are the same in an ionic liquid and a molecular organic solvent.

Journal Article↗

1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium 3,5-dinitro-1,2,4-triazolate: a novel ionic liquid containing a rigid, planar energetic anion.

The novel ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium 3,5-dinitro-1,2,4-triazolate has been synthesized and exhibits an unexpectedly low melting point (35 degrees C) considering the size and shape of the rigid, planar anion; analogous tetraalkylammonium salts (methyl, ethyl and n-butyl) have also been prepared and the tetraethylammonium example was characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction.

Anions↗

Application of polyethylene glycol-based aqueous biphasic reactive extraction to the catalytic oxidation of cyclic olefins.

Glutaric acid and 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) have been synthesized by sodium tungstate catalyzed oxidation of the cyclic olefins: cyclopentene and 1,2,3,6-tetrahydrophthalic anhydride (THPA), using hydrogen peroxide in a polyethylene glycol (PEG)-2000/NaHSO(4) aqueous biphasic system (PEG-ABS). The production of glutaric acid and BTCA was found to increase from the monophasic to the biphasic regimes, and was found to be greatest at short tie-line lengths (TLLs), close to the system's critical point, yielding glutaric acid and BTCA in 73.1 and 82.5% yield, respectively. The results imply that mutual mixing or contact of the components is important, because the product dicarboxylic acids were found to increase from the monophasic side to the critical point and decrease from the critical point to more divergent regimes. The two reactions were compared with adipic acid synthesis from cyclohexene in terms of the cyclic olefin structure, and the partitioning of the dicarboxylic acid product in the ABS.

Alkenes↗

Crystal structures of imidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide 'ionic liquid' salts: the first organic salt with a cis-TFSI anion conformation.

Crystal structures of two examples of an important class of ionic liquids, 1,3-dimethylimidazolium and 1,2,3-triethylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide have been characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The anion in the 1,3-dimethylimidazolium example (mp 22 degrees C), adopts an unusual cis-geometry constrained by bifurcated cation-anion C-H. . .O hydrogen-bonds from the imidazolium cation to the anion resulting in the formation of fluorous layers within the solid-state structure. In contrast, in the 1,2,3-triethylimidazolium salt (mp 57 degrees C), the ions are discretely packed with only weak C-H. . .O contacts between the ions close to the van der Waals separation distances, and with the anion adopting the twisted conformation observed for all other examples from the limited set of organic bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide crystal structures. The structures are discussed in terms of the favorable physical properties that bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide anions impart in ionic liquids.

Journal Article↗

Extraction of cesium ions from aqueous solutions using calix[4]arene-bis(tert-octylbenzo-crown-6) in ionic liquids.

Solvent extraction of cesium ions from aqueous solution to hydrophobic ionic liquids without the introduction of an organophilic anion in the aqueous phase was demonstrated using calix[4]arene-bis(tert-octylbenzo-crown-6) (BOBCalixC6) as an extractant. The selectivity of this extraction process toward cesium ions and the use of a sacrificial cation exchanger (NaBPh(4)) to control loss of imidazolium cation to the aqueous solutions by ion exchange have been investigated.

Journal Article↗

Using Caenorhabditis elegans to probe toxicity of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride based ionic liquids.

Ionic liquids are gaining attention as new solvents within the green chemistry community; however this attention has quickly outstripped current environmental and toxicological data available. In the present communication, we establish the use of Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism for inexpensively and quickly exploring toxicological effects of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ionic liquids.

Animals↗

Liquid clathrate formation in ionic liquid-aromatic mixtures.

1-Alkyl-3-methylimidazolium containing ionic liquids with hexafluorophosphate, bis(trifyl)imide, tetrafluoroborate, and chloride anions form liquid clathrates when mixed with aromatic hydrocarbons; in the system 1,3-dimethylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate-benzene, the aromatic solute could be trapped in the solid state forming a crystalline 2:1 inclusion compound.

Journal Article↗

1,3-dimethylimidazolium-2-carboxylate: the unexpected synthesis of an ionic liquid precursor and carbene-CO2 adduct.

1,3-Dimethylimidazolium-2-carboxylate is formed in good yield, rather than the anticipated organic salt, 1,3-dimethylimidazolium methyl carbonate, as the reaction product resulting from both N-alkylation and C-carboxylation of 1-methylimidazole with dimethyl carbonate; the crystal structure of the zwitterion exhibits pi-stacked rings and two-dimensional sheets constructed by hydrogen-bonds from imidazolium-ring hydrogens to the carboxylate group.

Journal Article↗

Application of ionic liquids as plasticizers for poly(methyl methacrylate).

The room temperature ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, [C4mim][PF6] was found to be an efficient plasticizer for poly(methyl methacrylate), prepared by in situ radical polymerization in the ionic liquid medium; the polymers have physical characteristics comparable with those containing traditional plasticizers and retain greater thermal stability.

Free Radicals↗

Conventional free radical polymerization in room temperature ionic liquids: a green approach to commodity polymers with practical advantages.

Free-radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate and styrene using conventional organic initiators in the room temperature ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C4mim][PF6]) is rapid and produces polymers with molecular weights up to 10x higher than from benzene; both polymerization and isolation of products were achieved without using VOCs, offering economic as well as environmental advantages.

Benzoyl Peroxide↗

Dissolution of cellulose [correction of cellose] with ionic liquids.

We report here initial results that demonstrate that cellulose can be dissolved without activation or pretreatment in, and regenerated from, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride and other hydrophilic ionic liquids. This may enable the application of ionic liquids as alternatives to environmentally undesirable solvents currently used for dissolution of this important bioresource.

Cellulose↗

Production of bioactive cellulose films reconstituted from ionic liquids.

A new method for introducing enzymes into cellulosic matrixes which can be formed into membranes, films, or beads has been developed using a cellulose-in-ionic-liquid dissolution and regeneration process. Initial results on the formation of thin cellulose films incorporating dispersed laccase indicate that active enzyme-encapsulated films can be prepared using this methodology and that precoating the enzyme with a second, hydrophobic ionic liquid prior to dispersion in the cellulose/ionic liquid solution can provide an increase in enzyme activity relative to that of untreated films, presumably by providing a stabilizing microenvironment for the enzyme.

Catalysis↗