Marc A. Klingshirn

Ionic liquids as solvent and solvent additives for the synthesis of sol–gel materials

The ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride was used as a drying control chemical additive in the synthesis of silica sol–gel materials with and without methanol as a co-solvent. The resulting gels were characterized by using thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, infrared spectroscopy and water sorption kinetics. Calcined gels were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption isotherms for surface area and pore volume determination. Non-calcined gels were monolithic and showed general cloudiness with lesser degrees observed at higher IL volumes. Calcinations resulted in the formation of powders with increased available surface area as the amount of IL volume was increased. This is consistent with an increase in respective pore volume but a general decrease in average pore size. The resulting materials exhibited conventional structural microdomains, in contrast to periodicity reported when other ionic liquids were used as templates.

Polar, non-coordinating ionic liquids as solvents for the alternating copolymerization of styrene and CO catalyzed by cationic palladium catalysts

The palladium-catalyzed copolymerization of styrene and CO in an ionic liquid solvent, 1-hexylpyridinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, gave improved yields and increased molecular weights compared to polymerizations run in methanol.

Green chemistry and lanthanide-based crystal engineering

Abstract The concept of ‘Green Chemistry’ has received much recent attention due to increased environmental regulations and concerns. This concept is currently being applied to industrial processes as an attempt to help reduce hazardous discharges into the environment. The opportunities to practice green chemistry, however, are abundant in modern science and technology. Here we discuss the concepts of green chemistry as related to crystal engineering, a promising field that may lead to more environmentally-friendly processes and help aid in environmental clean-up by the design of functional solid state materials. Lanthanides with their rich stereochemistry and abundant nature are currently underutilized in crystal engineering development.