Solvation structure of a copper(II) ion in protic ionic liquids comprising N-hexylethylenediamine.

The fine and dynamic structure of the copper(II) ion solvated in a protic ionic liquid (PIL) comprising monoprotonated N-hexylethylenediaminium (HHexen(+)) and bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide (Tf2N(-)) [or trifluoroacetate (TFA(-))] was determined using NMR, visible electronic, and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. The chelate-diamine group in the cationic unit facilitates advantageous dissolution of transition-metal salts in the present PIL. The interaction of the copper(II) ion with the chelate-diamine PIL was explored by the addition of copper(II) salts to the PIL, demonstrating competitive complexation between the ligand of the added copper(II) salt and the components of the ionic liquid to the copper(II) ion. The favorable mode of interaction of the present chelating PIL with the copper(II) ion was clarified based on a comparison of the interactions with analogous liquids, including the monoprotonated hexylaminium HHexam(Tf2N)-PIL, neat N-hexylethylenediamine (Hexen), and neat ethylenediamine (En). The coordination modes of the bis-Hexen and tris-Hexen copper(II) complexes in molecular liquids and in solids were also studied for comparison of the coordination structures around the copper(II) ion with those in the present PILs. The paramagnetic-induced relaxations derived from (13)C (ΔT(1p)(-1)) and (15)N (ΔT(2p)(-1)) NMR, the visible electronic spectra, and EXAFS analysis showed that the copper(II) ion tends to form a bis-Hexen complex in the HHexen-PIL despite the electrostatic repulsion and the fact that the counteranions are located at the axial sites, whereas in the HHexam(Tf2N)-PIL, the copper(II) ion exhibits affinity for the Tf2N anion over the protonated amines. The lifetime of the copper(II) complex formed in the PIL was determined to be ≈10(-4) s based on (13)C (ΔT(1p)(-1)) and (14)N (ΔT(2p)(-1)) NMR, which is appreciably longer than that in conventional molecular solvents.

Properties of ionic liquids containing silver(I) or protic alkylethylenediamine cations with a bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide anion.

Ionic liquids of an N-alkylethylenediamine-silver(I) complex cation (alkyl=hexyl, 2-ethylhexyl, and octyl) or a protic N-alkylethylenediaminium cation (alkyl=butyl, hexyl, 2-ethylhexyl, octyl, decyl, and dodecyl) with a bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide counter anion (Ag-ILs and PILs, respectively) were prepared and their physicochemical properties were investigated. The trend of solidification decreased in the order octyl≫hexyl>2-ethylhexyl for the Ag-ILs, and butyl>dodecyl>decyl>octyl>hexyl≫2-ethylhexyl for the PILs. The diffusion coefficients of the cations indicated stronger intermolecular interactions in PILs than in the Ag-ILs because of hydrogen-bonding networks, and it has been revealed that the intermolecular interactions increase in the order, hexyl

Aggregation in methanol and formation of molecular glasses for europium(III) N-acylaminocarboxylates: effects of alkyl chain length and head group.

Europium(III) complexes of N-acyl-DL-alaninates (acyl=acetyl, butanoyl, hexanoyl, octanoyl, decanoyl, dodecanoyl and tetradecanoyl), N-octanoyl-DL-phenylalaninate, and N-octanoyl-L-serinate were prepared to understand the effects of alkyl chain length and the type of head group on the formation of glassy states and on the aggregation behaviour in solutions. The acylalaninate complexes had a tendency to form a transparent glass, whereas Eu(ala)3 (ala=DL-alaninate) was easily crystallized. Of the C2(acetyl)-C14(tetradecanoyl) chains in the ligands, the C4-C8 chains were the most favourable to assume a stable glassy state by solvent vaporization. The europium(III) complexes having an acyl chain of C6 (hexanoyl) or longer exhibited a peak below 2theta=5 degrees due to the presence of a bilayer structure in the glassy state. The octanoylserinate complex easily formed an anisotropic glass by a solvent-cast method, while the octanoylphenylalaninate complex transformed from a transparent glass to an anisotropic glass by an annealing treatment. The trend of glass formation was related with the aggregation behaviour of the complexes in methanol detected by self-diffusion and luminescence properties.

Ionic liquids of bis(alkylethylenediamine)silver(I) salts and the formation of silver(0) nanoparticles from the ionic liquid system.

We have prepared novel ionic liquids of bis(N-2-ethylhexylethylenediamine)silver(I) nitrate ([Ag(eth-hex-en)(2)]NO(3) and bis(N-hexylethylenediamine)silver(I) hexafluorophosphate ([Ag(hex-en)(2)]PF(6)), which have transition points at -54 and -6 degrees C, respectively. Below these transition temperatures, both the silver complexes assume amorphous states, in which the extent of the vitrification is larger for the eth-hex-en complex than for the hex-en complex. The diffusion coefficients of both the complex cations, measured between 30 (or 35) and 70 degrees C, are largely dependent on temperature; the dependence is particularly large in the case of the eth-hex-en complex cation below 40 degrees C. Small-angle X-ray scattering studies showed that the bilayer structure of the metal complex is formed in the liquid state for both the silver complexes. A direct observation of the yellowish [Ag(eth-hex-en)(2)]NO(3) liquid by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) indicates the presence of nanostructures, as a microemulsion, of less than 5 nm. Such structures were not clearly observed in the [Ag(hex-en)(2)]PF(6) liquid. Although the [Ag(eth-hex-en)(2)]NO(3) liquid is sparingly soluble in bulk water, it readily incorporates a small amount of water up to [water]/[metal complex] = 7:1. Homogeneous and uniformly sized silver(0) nanoparticles in water were created by the reduction of the [Ag(eth-hex-en)(2)]NO(3) liquid with aqueous NaBH(4), whereas silver(0) nanoparticles were not formed from the [Ag(hex-en)(2)]PF(6) liquid in the same way.

Formation of molecular glasses and the aggregation in solutions for lanthanum(III), calcium(II), and yttrium(III) complexes of octanoyl-DL-alaninate.

Octanoylalaninato-metal (metal = calcium(II), yttrium(III), lanthanum(III), and zinc(II)) complexes were prepared and the first three metal complexes were found to readily form transparent and stable molecular glasses from methanol and chloroform solutions. The process of glass formation from solution was studied in detail. The effect of the central metal ions on the formation of glassy states was remarkable: the lanthanum and calcium complexes assumed glassy or crystalline states depending on the isolation method and the yttrium complex had a large tendency to assume an amorphous state, whereas the zinc complex did not assume a pure and stable glassy-state. The glass transition temperatures were 50 degrees C for the yttrium complex and 70-75 degrees C for the lanthanum and calcium complexes when these complexes are monohydrates prepared by a solvent-cast method, whereas they increase by 10-30 degrees for the hemihydrates which were obtained by an annealing treatment at 110 degrees C. The coordinated water was eliminated from the solid above the glass transition temperature. The glassy state was regarded as a result of the self-aggregation of the metal complex in solution by an entanglement of the methylene chains with one another. SAXS showed the presence of two disordered bilayer structures with 2.2 nm and 4.5 nm periods in the glassy states. The structures of the molecular assemblies in the solid states and solutions were compared by SAXS and NMR studies. EXAFS studies confirmed the coordination numbers of oxygen atoms around the yttrium and lanthanum atoms in the glassy states for the yttrium and lanthanum complexes to be about 7.

Process for recycling waste aluminum with generation of high-pressure hydrogen.

An innovative environmently friendly hydrolysis process for recycling waste aluminum with the generation of high-pressure hydrogen has been proposed and experimentally validated. The effect of the concentration of sodium hydroxide solution on hydrogen generation rate was the main focus of the study. In the experiments, distilled water and aluminum powder were placed in the pressure-resistance reactor made of Hastelloy, and was compressed to a desired constant water pressure using a liquid pump. The sodium hydroxide solution was supplied by liquid pump with different concentrations (from 1.0 to 5.0 mol/dm3) at a constant flow rate into the reactor by replacing the distilled water, and the rate of hydrogen generated was measured simultaneously. The liquid temperature in the reactor increased due to the exothermic reaction given by Al + OH(-) + 3H2O = 1.5H2 + Al(OH)4(-) + 415.6 kJ. Therefore, a high-pressure hydrogen was generated at room temperature by mixing waste aluminum and sodium hydroxide solution. As the hydrogen compressor used in this process consumes less energy than the conventional one, the generation of hydrogen having a pressure of almost 30 MPa was experimentally validated together with Al(OH)3, a useful byproduct.

In situ nanostructure formation of (micro-hydroxo)bis(micro-carboxylato) diruthenium units in nafion membrane and its utilization for selective reduction of nitrosonium ion in aqueous medium.

Nanostructured molecular film containing the (micro-hydroxo)bis(micro-carboxylato) diruthenium(III) units, [RuIII2(micro-OH)(micro-CH3COO)2(HBpz3)2]+ ({RuIII2(micro-OH)}), was prepared by an in situ conversion of its micro-oxo precursor, [RuIII2(micro-O)(micro-CH3COO)2(HBpz3)2] ({RuIII2(micro-O)}), in a Nafion membrane matrix, where HBpz3 is hydrotris(1-pyrazolyl)borate. The conversion procedure results in fine nanoparticle aggregates of the {RuIII2(micro-OH)} units in the Nafion membrane (Nf-{RuIII2(micro-OH)}), where an average particle size (4.1 +/- 2.3 nm) is close to the Nafion's cluster dimension of approximately 4 nm. Chemically modified electrodes by using the Nafion molecular membrane films (Nf-{RuIII2(micro-OH)}-MMFEs) were further developed on ITO/glass and glassy carbon electrode (GCE) surfaces, and a selective reduction of nitrosonium ion (NO+), presumably through reaction of a {RuIIRuIII(micro-OH)} mixed-valence state with HNO2, was demonstrated without interference by molecular oxygen in an acidic aqueous solution. The Nf-{RuIII2(micro-OH)}-MMFEs are stable even in a physiological condition (pH 7), where the naked {RuIII2(-OH)} complex is readily transformed into its deprotonated {RuIII2(micro-O)} form, demonstrating an unusual stabilizing effects for the {RuIII2(micro-OH)} unit by the Nafion cluster environment.