Controlling Ionic Conductivity in Organometallic Ionic Liquids through Light-Induced Coordination Polymer Formation and Thermal Reversion.

Owing to their high ionic conductivity and negligible vapor pressure, ionic liquids (ILs) find applications in various electronic devices. However, fabricating IL-based photocontrollable devices remains a challenge. In this study, we developed organometallic ILs with reversible light- and heat-controlled ionic conductivities for potential use in tunable devices. The physical properties and stimulus responses of ILs containing a cationic sandwich Ru complex with two coordinating substituents were investigated. UV photoirradiation of these ILs triggered cation photodissociation, resulting in their transformation into viscoelastic coordination polymers wherein the coordinating substituents bridged the Ru centers. Owing to the anion coordination, salts with coordinating anions such as CF3SO2NCN-, B(CN)4-, and BF2(CN)2- exhibited faster response and higher conversion than those with noncoordinating anions including (FSO2)2N- and (CF3SO2)2N-. All photoproducts reverted to their original ILs upon heating, except for the photoproduct of the BF2(CN)2 salt, which decomposed upon heating. Light- and heat-induced reversible changes occur in most cases between the high-ionic-conductive IL state and low-ionic-conductive coordination polymer state. Unlike previously reported ILs with three or one cation substituent, the current ILs exhibited both high reactivity and large ionic conductivity changes.

Ionic liquid-containing coordination polymer: solvent-free synthesis, incongruent melting, and glass formation.

An ionic-liquid-containing 2D coordination polymer was synthesized via a solvent-free reaction. The material exhibited incongruent melting at 112 °C, forming a solid-liquid mixture; further heating to 240 °C led to complete melting. Upon cooling, the melt transformed into a solid-liquid mixture, from which the coordination polymer was gradually recovered at ambient temperature. Rapid cooling (>200 °C s-1) of the melt resulted in complete vitrification at -28 °C.

Synthesis, Photochromic Properties, and Crystal Structures of Salts Containing a Pyridinium-Fused Spiropyran: Positive and Negative Photochromism in the Solution and Solid State.

Salts containing the merocyanine form of a pyridinium-fused spiropyran ([6'-MC]X; X = I and PF6) were prepared, and their crystal structures were determined. In addition, the photochromic properties of the salts were spectroscopically and kinetically investigated. In the solution state, the salts exhibited negative photochromism. Theoretical calculations revealed that the negative photochromism of the salt originates from the drastic stabilization of the merocyanine structure by electron delocalization of the pyridinium ring. Furthermore, the salts containing the merocyanine and spiropyran forms ([6'-MC]I, [6'-MC]PF6, and [6'-SP]PF6) were obtained by recrystallization. The crystals of [6'-SP]PF6 exhibited positive photochromism in the solid state; however, no photochromism was observed in the [6'-MC]X crystals.

Hydro-nium bis-(tri-fluoro-methane-sulfon-yl)amide-18-crown-6 (1/1).

The structure of the title compound, H3O+·C2F6NO4S2 -·C12H24O6 or [H3O+·C12H24O6][N(SO2CF3)2 -], which is an ionic liquid with a melting point of 341-343 K, has been determined at 113 K. The asymmetric unit consists of two crystallographically independent 18-crown-6 mol-ecules, two hydro-nium ions and two bis-(tri-fluoro-methane-sulfon-yl)amide anions; each 18-crown-6 mol-ecule complexes with a hydro-nium ion. In one 18-crown-6 mol-ecule, a part of the ring exhibits conformational disorder over two sets of sites with an occupancy ratio of 0.533 (13):0.467 (13). One hydro-nium ion is complexed with the ordered 18-crown-6 mol-ecule via O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds with H2OH⋯OC distances of 1.90 (6)-2.19 (7) Å, and the other hydro-nium ion with the disordered crown mol-ecule with distances of 1.85 (6)-2.36 (6) Å. The hydro-nium ions are also linked to the anions via O-H⋯F hydrogen bonds. The crystal studied was found to be a racemic twin with a component ratio of 0.55 (13):0.45 (13).

A new strategy for inducing dipole moments in charge-transfer complexes: introduction of asymmetry into axially ligated iron phthalocyanines.

Introduction of asymmetry into charge-transfer complexes composed of axially ligated iron phthalocyanines was achieved. In the obtained crystals of TPP[FeIII(Pc)(CN)Cl]2, TPP[FeIII(Pc)(CN)Br]2, and TPP[FeIII(Pc)BrCl]2 (TPP = tetraphenylphosphonium and Pc = phthalocyanine), the axial positions of the iron atoms were occupied by 50/50 ratios of the ligands CN/Cl, CN/Br, and Br/Cl, respectively. The crystal structures of the obtained CT complexes were isostructural to those composed of the symmetric analogues of the type [FeIII(Pc)L2] (L = CN, Cl or Br); the [FeIII(Pc)LL'] units formed regular one-dimensional chains along the c-axis following the symmetry of the P42/n space group. Despite forming similar regular chains to the symmetric systems, the electrical resistivities and activation energies were enhanced in the obtained CT complexes compared to those in symmetric systems, indicating that the charge-ordered states were stabilised by the introduction of asymmetry. More specifically, the dielectric relaxation behaviour of the inhomogeneous disordered TPP[FeIII(Pc)(CN)Cl]2 probably suggests that a dipole moment was induced in this material.

Thermochromic Magnetic Ionic Liquids from Cationic Nickel(II) Complexes Exhibiting Intramolecular Coordination Equilibrium.

Among the various thermochromic materials, liquid thermochromic materials are comparatively rare. To produce functional thermochromic liquids, we have designed ionic liquids based on cationic nickel complexes with ether side chains, [Ni(acac)(Me2 NC2 H4 NR1 R2 )]Tf2 N ([1]Tf2 N: R1 =C3 H6 OEt, R2 =Me; [2]Tf2 N: R1 =C3 H6 OMe, R2 =Me; [3]Tf2 N: R1 =R2 =C3 H6 OMe), where acac=acetylacetonate and Tf2 N=(F3 CSO2 )2 N- . The side chains (R1 , R2 ) can moderately coordinate to the metal center, enabling temperature-dependent coordination equilibria in the liquid state. [1]Tf2 N is a liquid at room temperature. [2]Tf2 N is obtained as a solid (Tm =352.7 K) but remains liquid at room temperature after melting. [3]Tf2 N is a solid with a high melting point (Tm =422.3 K). These salts display thermochromism in the liquid state, appearing red at high temperatures and orange, light-blue, or bluish-green at lower temperatures, and exhibiting concomitant changes in their magnetic properties. This phenomenon is based on temperature-dependent equilibrium between a square-planar diamagnetic species and a paramagnetic species with intramolecular ether coordination.

Crystal Structures and Phase Sequences of Metallocenium Salts with Fluorinated Anions: Effects of Molecular Size and Symmetry on Phase Transitions to Ionic Plastic Crystals.

Sandwich compounds often exhibit various phase transitions, including those to plastic phases. To elucidate the general features of the phase transitions in metallocenium salts, the thermal properties and crystal structures of [Fe(C5 Me5 )2 ]X ([1]X), [Co(C5 Me5 )2 ]X ([2]X), and [Fe(C5 Me4 H)2 ]X ([3]X) have been investigated, where the counter anions (X) are Tf2 N (=(CF3 SO2 )2 N- ), OTf (=CF3 SO3- ), PF6 , and BF4 . The Tf2 N salts commonly undergo phase transitions from an ordered phase at low temperatures to an anion-disordered phase, followed by a plastic phase and finally melt at high temperatures. All these salts exhibit a phase transition to a plastic phase, and the transition temperature generally decreases with decreasing cation size and increasing anion size. The crystal structures of these salts comprise an alternating arrangement of cations and anions. About half of these salts exhibit phase transitions at low temperatures, which are mostly correlated with the order-disorder of the anion.

Reversible transformation between ionic liquids and coordination polymers by application of light and heat.

Reversible transformation between an ionic liquid and a coordination polymer by application of light and heat has been achieved. Ultraviolet light irradiation transforms the transparent liquid to a yellow solid; a reverse reaction occurs due to the application of heat. The transformation accompanies drastic switching of intra- and intermolecular coordination bonds of a ruthenium complex. This is a novel material conversion methodology that connects the fields of ionic liquids and coordination polymers.

Colorless organometallic ionic liquids from cationic ruthenium sandwich complexes: thermal properties, liquid properties, and crystal structures of [Ru(η(5)-C5H5)(η(6)-C6H5R)][X] (X = N(SO2CF3)2, N(SO2F)2, PF6).

A series of ionic liquids containing cationic ruthenium complexes ([Ru(C5H5)(C6H5R)](+)) were prepared, and their thermal properties were investigated (R = C4H9 (1a), C8H17 (1b), OCH2OCH3 (2a), O(CH2CH2O)2CH3 (2b), O(CH2)3CN (3a), O(CH2)6CN (3b), CO(CH2)2CH3 (4a), CO(CH2)6CH3 (4b)). Bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide (TFSA) and bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide (FSA) were used as counter anions. These ionic liquids were colorless and stable toward air and light. These salts exhibited glass transitions upon cooling from the melt (Tg = −82 °C to −55 °C), and the glass transition temperatures of the salts increased as the polarity of the substituents increased (alkyl < ether < cyano < carbonyl). The decomposition temperatures decreased in the order of alkyl > cyano > carbonyl > ether. The viscosities, solvent polarities, and refractive indices of the salts of 1a and 2a were also evaluated. Hexafluorophosphate (PF6) salts were also prepared, which were solids with high melting points (Tm = 65­127 °C). X-ray crystal structure analyses of these salts revealed the importance of intermolecular contacts involving the ring hydrogens. The PF6 salt of 2a exhibited an order­disorder phase transition.

Colorimetric solvent indicators based on Nafion membranes incorporating nickel(II)-chelate complexes.

To develop solvent-recognition films, Nafion membranes incorporating cationic nickel-chelate complexes, that is, [Ni(L(1))(L(2))](+) (HL(1) = acetylacetone, 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedione; L(2) = N,N-diethylethylenediamine, N-butyl-N,N',N'-trimethylethylenediamine), were prepared. Immersion of the films in various solvents effected the color changes varying from red to pale blue green depending on the donor number of the solvents. The color change is based on an equilibrium shift between square-planar and solvent-coordinated octahedral geometries of the cations. The degree of the color change depended on the affinity of the incorporated complex to the solvent molecules. The films were robust and exhibited a reversible solvent response. The films exhibited thermochromism when a small amount of appropriate solvents were incorporated and changed from pale blue green at low temperatures to red at high temperatures.

A biferrocenium salt containing paramagnetic tetracyanoquinodimethane hexamers: charge disproportionation via donor-acceptor interactions.

[Dineopentyl-biferrocene]2[Cl1TCNQ]7, which has an unprecedented high donor-acceptor ratio of 2 : 7, contains a linear paramagnetic hexamer of Cl1TCNQ. Both the donor and acceptor molecules exhibit charge disproportionation in the crystal through mutual electrostatic interactions.

Chemical control of the monovalent-divalent electron-transfer phase transition in biferrocenium-TCNQ salts.

An ionic molecular crystal of (1',1'''-dineopentylbiferrocene)(F1TCNQ)3 exhibits a first-order phase transition from a monovalent state (D(+)A3(-)) to a divalent state (D(2+)A3(2-)) at around 120 K. The transition was successfully controlled by modulation of the redox potentials using FnTCNQ (n = 0-2) and by chemical-pressure effects.

Ionic liquids from cationic palladium(II) chelate complexes: preparation, thermal properties, and crystal structures.

Metal-containing ionic liquids comprising cationic Pd(II) chelate complexes and the bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide (Tf2N) anion were prepared: [Pd(acac)(Me4en)]Tf2N (1), [Pd(acac)(BuMe3en)]Tf2N (2), and [Pd(C8-acac)(Me4en)]Tf2N (3) (acac = 2,4-pentanedionate, C8-acac = 3-octyl-2,4-pentanedionate, Me4en = N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine, BuMe3en = N-butyl-N,N',N'-trimethylethylenediamine). These salts were yellow solids with melting points of 85.2 °C, 71.1 °C, and 62.3 °C, respectively. During cooling from the liquid state, complex 1 exhibited crystallization, whereas 2 and 3 exhibited only glass transitions at approximately -40 °C. X-ray structure determination revealed that the cations in 1 and 3 form dimer-like arrangements and that there were no direct contacts between the charged moieties of the cations and anions in the solid state.

A spin-crossover ionic liquid from the cationic iron(III) Schiff base complex.

A thermochromic magnetic ionic liquid containing a cationic iron(III) Schiff-base complex has been developed, whose color and magnetic moment change with temperature because of spin crossover in the liquid state. This spin-crossover behavior closely resembles that of a solid having the same cation.

Ionic liquids from copper(II) complexes with alkylimidazole-containing tripodal ligands.

Five-coordinate copper(II) complexes [Cu(L)Cl]X bearing alkylimidazole-containing tripodal ligands were prepared, where L = bis(2-dimethylaminoethyl)-((1-alkylimidazol-2-yl)methyl)amine and X = bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide (Tf2N) and PF6. The salts with hexyl ([1]X), propyl ([2]X), and methyl ([3]X) substituents in the ligand were prepared, of which [1]Tf2N and [2]Tf2N were ionic liquids with high viscosity at room temperature. X-ray crystal structure determination at low temperature revealed that the coordination geometry around the metal ion in [3]Tf2N was distorted trigonal bipyramidal, whereas that in [2]PF6 was close to square pyramidal. UV-vis absorption spectra of these salts were consistent with the coordination structures.

Organometallic ionic liquids from alkyloctamethylferrocenium cations: thermal properties, crystal structures, and magnetic properties.

Alkyloctamethylferrocenium salts with the Tf2N anion ([Fe(C5Me4C(n)H(2n+1))(C5Me4H)][Tf2N]; Tf2N = bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide) were prepared, and their ionic liquid properties, thermal properties, crystal structures, and magnetic properties were investigated. The melting points of the Tf2N salts were near room temperature, and decreased with increasing alkyl chain length up to n = 8 and then increased. The salts with PF6 and NO3 anions were also prepared. The melting points of the PF6 salts were higher than 100 °C. Most of these salts exhibited phase transitions in the solid state. The sum of the entropies of the melting and solid phase transitions was nearly independent of the alkyl chain length for salts with short alkyl chains, whereas those for salts with longer alkyl chains (n≥ 10 for Tf2N salts, n≥ 6 for PF6 salts) increased with increasing alkyl chain length. Crystal structure determinations revealed that the short chain salts form simple alternately packed structures of cations and anions in the solid state, and that the long chain salts form lamellar structures, in which the alkyl chains are aligned parallel between the layers. The effects of magnetic fields on the crystallization of the paramagnetic ionic liquids were investigated, and revealed that the Tf2N salts with n = 4 exhibited magnetic orientation when solidified under magnetic fields. The magnetic orientation was shown to be a bulk phenomenon, and the importance of the magnetic anisotropy of the crystal structure was suggested in comparison with the response of other Tf2N salts.

Thermochromic and solvatochromic Nafion films incorporating cationic metal-chelate complexes.

Nafion films incorporating cationic nickel complexes [Ni(II)(acac)(R4en)](+) (acac = acetylacetonato, R4en = tetraalkylethylenediamine) that exhibit chromic behavior in response to temperature changes and solvent molecules in the vapor and liquid phases have been prepared.

Crystal structures and phase-transition dynamics of cobaltocenium salts with bis(perfluoroalkylsulfonyl)amide anions: remarkable odd-even effect of the fluorocarbon chains in the anion.

Crystal structures and thermal properties of cobaltocenium salts with bis(perfluoroalkylsulfonyl)amide (C(n)F2(n+1)SO2)2N anions [n = 0 (1), 1 (1 a), 2 (1 b), 3 (1 c), and 4 (1 d)] and the 1,1,2,2,3,3-hexafluoropropane-1,3-disulfonylamide anion (2) were investigated. In these solids, the cations are surrounded by four anions around their C5 axis, and stacking of these local structures forms two kinds of assembled structures. In the salts with even n (1, 1 b, and 1 d), the cation and anion are arranged alternately to form mixed-stack columns in the crystal. In contrast, in the salts with odd n (1 a and 1 c), the cations and anions independently form segregated-stack columns. An odd-even effect was also observed in the sum of the phase-change entropies from crystal to melt. All of the salts exhibited phase transitions in the solid state. The phase transitions to the lowest-temperature phase in 1, 1 a, and 2 are accompanied by order-disorder of the anions and symmetry lowering of the space group, which results in the formation of an ion pair. Solid-state (13)C NMR measurements on 1 a and 1 b revealed enhanced molecular motions of the cation in the higher-temperature phases.

Vapochromic ionic liquids from metal-chelate complexes exhibiting reversible changes in color, thermal, and magnetic properties.

Vapor- and gas-responsive ionic liquids (ILs) comprised of cationic metal-chelate complexes and bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (Tf(2)N) have been prepared, namely, [Cu(acac)(BuMe(3)en)][Tf(2)N] (1 a), [Cu(Bu-acac)(BuMe(3)en)][Tf(2)N] (1 b), [Cu(C(12)-acac)(Me(4)en)][Tf(2)N] (1 c), [Cu(acac)(Me(4)en)][Tf(2)N] (1 d), and [Ni(acac)(BuMe(3)en)][Tf(2)N] (2 a) (acac = acetylacetonate, Bu-acac = 3-butyl-2,4-pentanedionate, C(12)-acac = 3-dodecyl-2,4-pentanedionate, BuMe(3)en = N-butyl-N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine, and Me(4)en = N,N,N',N'-trimethylethylenediamine). These ILs exhibited reversible changes in color, thermal properties, and magnetic properties in response to organic vapors and gases. The Cu(II)-containing ILs are purple and turn blue-purple to green when exposed to organic vapors, such as acetonitrile, methanol, and DMSO, or ammonia gas. The color change is based on the coordination of the vapor molecules to the cation, and the resultant colors depend on the coordination strength (donor number, DN) of the vapor molecules. The vapor absorption caused changes in the melting points and viscosities, leading to alteration in the phase behaviors. The IL with a long alkyl chain (1 d) transitioned from a purple solid to a brown liquid at its melting point. The Ni(II)-containing IL (2 a) is a dark red diamagnetic liquid, which turned into a green paramagnetic liquid by absorbing vapors with high DN. Based on the equilibrium shift from four- to six-coordinated species, the liquid exhibited thermochromism and temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility after absorbing methanol.

Charge-transfer complexes from decamethylferrocene and 1,4-quinone derivatives: neutral-ionic phase diagrams for metallocene complexes.

Charge-transfer (CT) complexes of ferrocenes with 1,4-quinone derivatives were investigated. Deca- and octamethylferrocene complexes with 1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives were prepared and structurally characterized; these were neutral 1:2 DA complexes with mixed-stack structures. The formation of complexes with 1,4-benzoquinones was examined by applying solvent-drop grinding. CT energies and phase transitions in these neutral and other ionic complexes were investigated. Their electronic states are discussed on the basis of the phase diagrams derived for mixed-stack ferrocene-based CT complexes, taking into account their dependence on the DA ratio, dimensionality, and intermolecular interactions.