Metallic nanoparticles under 10 nm are of particular interest for the microelectronics industry. However, there is a lack of convenient synthetic routes to control their size Oxophilic metals, such as Ta, are also of high interest, however, the high oxophilicity and melting point makes the synthesis of such nanoparticles challenging. Making use of imidazolium-based ionic liquids, monodisperse zero-valent tantalum nanoparticles (Ta(0)NPs) have been successfully synthesised at room temperature by reduction of tris(neopentyl)neopentylidenetantalum(V). Furthermore; well size-controlled bimetallic Ru-Ta NPs have also been synthesized.

Ionic liquids (ILs) are highly suitable to act as precursors for nitrogen-doped carbon materials. Therefore two structural requirements must be fulfilled: On the one hand, the cation should carry nitrogen in a preferably aromatic environment, on the other hand nitrile groups are essential that can be e.g. incorporated by dicyanamide anions. Thermolysis of such ILs yields highly conductive nitrogen doped carbon exhibiting a graphitic microstructure. Furthermore, various nanomorphologies can be induced via hard-templating. The material has been shown to sufficiently suppress growth and agglomeration of Pt nanoparticles upon their electrocatalytic performance, when applied as a thin coating on the Pt host material. This novel concept of reactivity could further be applied in other fields of materials synthesis, paving the way for the one-pot synthesis of mesoporous carbon/silica composites and in-situ metal doping thereof.

Zwitterionic liquid (ZL) molecules are considered among the surfactant molecular species used in enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The surface activity of asphaltenes (ASP) is crucial for establishing reservoir rock wettability, which impacts enhanced oil recovery (EOR) process. The key to a successful EOR formulation is to carefully select the components that provide ultra-low interfacial tension (IFT) under reservoir conditions. Achieving ultra-low IFT greatly reduces capillary forces that trap oil. The objective of this work is the theoretical study of the influence of a class of germinal zwitterionic liquid on interfacial tension or changes on wettability of the oil-rock system under reservoir conditions. The ZL molecule used in this study was designed by Zamudio et al; while the asphaltene model was originally proposed by Buenrostro-González. Methods of molecular mechanics and dynamics were used in order to calculate interaction energies of all systems. The results indicate that the ZL molecule adheres more strongly to the limestone-rock than the asphaltene molecule does. In addition, our results suggest that the ion-pair formation is the dominant wettability alteration mechanism.

Ionic liquids (ILs) are receiving a great deal of attention as synthetic and dispersion media for colloidal systems, as well as alternatives to organic solvents and electrolyte solutions. Colloidal stability is an essential factor for determining the properties and performance of colloidal systems combined with ILs. The remarkable properties of ILs primarily originate from their highly ionic nature. While such high ionic strength often causes colloidal aggregation in aqueous and organic dispersions, certain colloidal particles can be well dispersed in ILs without any stabilizers. First, we will discuss the colloidal stability of bare and polymer-grafted silica nanoparticles and the surface force between silica substrates in ILs. Three different repulsions between colloidal particles—electrostatic, steric, and solvation forces—will be highlighted. A possible interpretation of the stabilization mechanism in ILs, both in the presence and in the absence of stabilizers, will be proposed. Next, we will provide an overview of our recent studies on colloidal soft materials with ILs. On the basis of dispersed states of the silica colloids, two different soft materials, colloidal gel and colloidal glass in ILs, were fabricated. Their functional properties (such as ionic transport, rheological properties, and optical properties) and the microstructure of the colloidal materials will also be presented.

The physicochemical properties of glyme-Li[FSA] (FSA: bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide) equimolar complexes were investigated. The self-diffusion coefficients of glymes and Li+ as determined by pulsed-field gradient spin-echo nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in equimolar complexes were almost identical, suggesting that all of the glyme molecules coordinated with Li+. Electrochemical characterization revealed that the oxidative stability of glyme molecules was enhanced by complexing with Li+. Using [Li(glyme)1][FSA] electrolytes and a LiFePO4cathode, a lithium secondary battery could be stably operated for more than 100 cycles at room temperature.

1,8-Diazabicyclo[5,4,0]undec-7-ene (DBU) was neutralized by a range of Brønsted acids with a wide variation in the ΔpKa values of their constituent acids and base. The salts exhibited properties characteristic of an ionic liquid, such as high thermal stability and liquidity near ambient temperature. Analyses of thermal behaviors and temperature dependencies of density, viscosity (η), and ionic conductivity were made to correlate the physicochemical properties with the ΔpKa value of the obtained protic ionic liquids (PILs). Differential thermal analyses (DTA) revealed that PILs with high ΔpKa values underwent thermal decomposition resembling their aprotic counterparts; however, PILs with a low ΔpKa exhibited the evaporation of neutral species progressively generated from the shifting of the equilibrium toward neutral components during the weight loss process. The ionicity of the PILs, determined from Walden plots utilizing density, conductivity, and viscosity data, was found to decrease as temperature increased, and this effect was more pronounced for low ΔpKa values, possibly because of the shifting of the equilibrium and the imbalance between strong hydrogen bonds and Coulombic interactions. Fragility, estimated from plots of log(η) versus the scaled temperature Tg/T was found to be lower for PILs than for DBU owing to neutralization. [DBU]-based PILs exhibit intermediate fragility in nature, but this fragility becomes more prominent for PILs with low ΔpKa values