Physicochemical Properties of New Dicationic Ether-Functionalized Low Melting Point Ammonium Salts

Abstract

Eleven new and one previously known but insufficiently characterized dicationic quaternary ammonium (QA) salts were synthesized and characterized. They contain an ethoxy ethyl group either in a side chain and/or as spacer of the diammonium cation and have bromide, hexafluorophosphate (PF6–), bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI), or trifluoromethanesulfonate (TFMS) as an anion. 1H and 13C techniques, mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis together with X-ray diffraction and thermoanalytical methods were used for their characterization both in the liquid and solid state. In addition, residual water content and viscosity measurements were made for the two room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs). Capillary electrophoresis was used to measure the conductivity of the RTILs. Crystal structures of four compounds were determined by X-ray single crystal diffraction, and powder diffraction was used to study the crystallinity of the solid salts and to compare the structural similarities between the single crystals and the microcrystalline bulk form. Two of the TFSI salts were liquids below room temperature, having liquid ranges of ~380 and 350°C, respectively, and seven out of 12 salts melted below 100°C. In addition, both the TFSI and PF6 salts exhibited high thermal stabilities decomposing at about, or above 300°C. Both RTILs presented moderate viscosities at elevated temperatures. The determined physicochemical properties of the reported ILs suggest their applicability for various applications such as heat transfer fluids, high temperature synthesis, and lubricants.