Mercury capture on a supported chlorocuprate(ii) ionic liquid adsorbent studied using operando synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy.

Mercury scrubbing from gas streams using a supported 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chlorocuprate(ii) ionic liquid ([C4mim]2[Cu2Cl6]) has been studied using operando EXAFS. Initial oxidative capture as [HgCl3]- anions was confirmed, this was then followed by the unanticipated generation of mercury(i) chloride through comproportionation with additional mercury from the gas stream. Combining these two mechanisms leads to net one electron oxidative extraction of mercury from the gas with increased potential capacity and efficiency for supported ionic liquid mercury scrubbers.

Lewis Superacidic Ionic Liquids with Tricoordinate Borenium Cations.

The first examples of ionic liquids based on borenium cations, [BCl2 L](+), are reported. These compounds form highly Lewis acidic liquids under solvent-free conditions. Their acidity was quantified by determining the Gutmann acceptor number (AN). Extremely high ANs were recorded (up to AN = 182, δ31P = 120 ppm), demonstrating that these borenium ionic liquids are the strongest Lewis superacids reported to date, with the acidity enhanced by the ionic liquid environment.

Association and liquid structure of pyridine-acetic acid mixtures determined from neutron scattering using a 'free proton' EPSR simulation model.

The liquid structure of pyridine-acetic acid mixtures have been investigated using neutron scattering at various mole fractions of acetic acid, χHOAc = 0.33, 0.50, and 0.67 and compared to the structures of neat pyridine and acetic acid. Data has been modelled using empirical potential structure refinement (EPSR) with a 'free proton' reference model, which has no prejudicial weighting towards either the existence of molecular or ionised species. Analysis of the neutron scattering results shows the existence of hydrogen-bonded acetic acid chains with pyridine inclusions, rather than the formation of an ionic liquid by proton transfer.

Brønsted acids in ionic liquids: how acidity depends on the liquid structure.

Gutmann Acceptor Number (AN) values have been determined for Brønsted acid-ionic liquid mixtures, over a wide compositional range. Four systems of general formula [C2mim][A]-HA (A(-) = bistriflamide, [NTf2](-); triflate, [OTf](-); mesylate, [OMs](-); or acetate, [OAc](-), [C2mim](+) = 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium cation) were studied. A library of Brønsted acidic systems of varying acidity was constructed and the AN parameter was found to be a convenient approach for quantifying their acidity. HOAc, HOMs and HOTf, when dissolved in ionic liquids, were found to associate with the respective anions to form hydrogen-bonded anionic clusters, [A(HA)x](-). In contrast, HNTf2 was solubilised as a discrete, undissociated molecule. AN values were sensitive to the presence of anionic clusters; acidity could be buffered to a particular AN by binding the solubilised acid in the anionic cluster form. Overall, a simple way to manipulate and quantify the Brønsted acidity of acid-ionic liquid mixtures was demonstrated, and measured AN values were related to liquid speciation.

Lead(II) chloride ionic liquids and organic/inorganic hybrid materials--a study of chloroplumbate(II) speciation.

A range of chloroplumbate(II) organic salts, based on the two cations, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium and trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium, was prepared by ionothermal synthesis. Depending on the structure of the organic cation and on the molar ratio of PbCl2 in the product, χPbCl2, the salts were room-temperature ionic liquids or crystalline organic/inorganic hybrid materials. The solids were studied using Raman spectroscopy; the crystal structure of [C2mim]{PbCl3} was determined and shown to contain 1D infinite chloroplumbate(II) strands formed by edge-sharing tetragonal pyramids of pentacoordinate (PbCl5) units. The liquids were analysed using (207)Pb NMR and Raman spectroscopies, as well as viscometry. Phase diagrams were constructed based on differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements. Discrete anions: [PbCl4](2-) and [PbCl3](-), were detected in the liquid state. The trichloroplumbate(II) anion was shown to have a flexible structure due to the presence of a stereochemically-active lone pair. The relationship between the liquid phase anionic speciation and the structure of the corresponding crystalline products of ionothermal syntheses was discussed, and the data were compared with analogous tin(II) systems.

Bis(2-mercapto-1-R-imidazolyl)hydroborato complexes of aluminium, gallium, indium and thallium: compounds possessing gallium-gallium bonds and a trivalent thallium alkyl.

The reactions of bis(mercaptoimidazolyl)hydroborato derivatives [Bm(R)]M' (R = Me, Bu(t); M' = Li, Na, Tl) with MX(3) trihalides of aluminium, gallium and indium yield both 1:1 and 2:1 complexes of the types [Bm(R)]MX(2) and [Bm(R)](2)MX, respectively. Structurally characterized examples of the [Bm(R)]MX(2) series include [Bm(Me)]AlCl(2), [Bm(Me)]GaI(2), [Bm(Me)]InI(2), [Bm(Bu(t))]AlCl(2) and [Bm(Bu(t))]GaX(2) (X = Cl, Br, I), while structurally characterized examples of the [Bm(R)](2)MX series include [Bm(Bu(t))](2)InX (X = Cl, Br, I). In addition to the halide complexes, the trivalent dimethyl thallium complex [Bm(Bu(t))]TlMe(2) has been synthesized via the reaction of [Bm(Bu(t))]Tl with Me(2)TlCl. The reactions of [Bm(R)]M' with the monovalent halides, "GaI", InCl and InI, result in disproportionation. In the case of indium, the mononuclear complexes [Bm(Bu(t))](2)InI and [Bm(Bu(t))]InCl(kappa(2)-mim(Bu(t))) are obtained, whereas for gallium, dinuclear compounds that feature Ga-Ga bonds, namely [Bm(R)](GaI)(GaI)[Bm(R)] (R = Me, Bu(t)) have been isolated.

Ga(III) complexes as models for the M(III) site of purple acid phosphatase: ligand effects on the hydrolytic reactivity toward bis(2,4-dinitrophenyl) phosphate.

The effects of a series of Ga(III) complexes with tripodal ligands on the hydrolysis rate of the activated phosphate diester bis(2,4-dinitrophenyl)phosphate (BDNPP) have been investigated. In particular, the influence of the nature of the ligand donor sites on the reactivity of Ga(III) which represents a mimic of the Fe(III) ion in purple acid phosphatase has been evaluated. It has been shown that replacing neutral nitrogen donor atoms and carboxylate groups by phenolate groups enhanced the reactivity of the Ga complexes. Bell-shaped pH-rate profiles and the measured solvent deuterium isotope effects are indicative of a mechanism that involves nucleophilic attack on the coordinated substrate by Ga-OH. The trend in reactivity found for the different Ga complexes reveals that of the two effects of the metal, Lewis acid activation of the substrate and nucleophile activation, the latter one is more important in determining the intrinsic reactivity of the metal catalyst. The relevance of the present findings for the modulation of the activity of the M(III) ion in purple acid phosphatase whose active site contains a phenolate (tyrosine side chain) is discussed.