Nitrile Functionalized Ionic Liquids

Nitrile functionalized ionic liquids refer to compounds prepared by introducing cyanide into cations or anions. This type of ionic liquid contains functional groups connected by triple bonds, allowing it to bond with other compounds, and has the dual properties of ionic liquids and cyano functional groups. Nitrile functionalized ionic liquids have the advantages of low viscosity, strong stability, and low volatility, etc., and are used in fields such as organic synthesis, solar cells, and material preparation.

Figure 1. Common structure of nitrile functionalized ionic liquids

Applications:

• Organic synthesis: The introduction of cyano groups into the anions of the ionic liquid can greatly reduce the viscosity of the ionic liquid. In organic reactions, nitrile functionalized ionic liquids can be used as solvents and as ligands for catalysts. The catalyst can catalyze the coupling reaction of Suzuki and Stille. In terms of recycling, the ionic liquid catalyst can be recycled for many times. In particular, when using nano-catalysts, the ionic liquid has a special stabilizing effect and can maintain the stable progress of the entire reaction system.
• Solar cell: In solar cells, the electrolyte is a very important component. The low volatility of ionic liquid can make the battery obtain high stability. However, the high viscosity of traditional ionic liquids will affect the diffusion rate of I^- and I₃^- ions. The nitrile functionalized ionic liquid will reduce its viscosity and increase the photocurrent intensity of the battery under high light intensity. Therefore, the use of nitrile functionalized ionic liquid as an electrolyte can improve the photoelectric conversion efficiency and prolong the service life of the solar cell.
• Preparation of porous carbon materials: Carbon materials with high specific surface area are widely used in lithium-ion batteries, supercapacitors, water treatment, electrocatalysis and other fields. As a new carbon precursor material, ionic liquid has the advantages of non-volatile, non-flammable, high thermal stability and chemical stability. The tolerance of nitrile functionalized ionic liquid as a precursor is significantly enhanced. And the structure of the product is similar to graphite, which greatly improves the stability of the carbon material.

Reference

• Amal I. Siriwardana, Angel A. J. Torriero, Juan M. Reyna-González, Iko M. Burgar, Noel F. Dunlop, Alan M. Bond, Glen B. Deacon, Douglas R. MacFarlane. Nitrile Functionalized Methimazole-Based Ionic Liquids[J.] J.Org. Chem. 2010, 75, 24, 8376-8382.