10.1021/acs.jced.5b00983
The study investigates the physicochemical and thermal properties of three novel imidazolium-based ionic liquids containing aromatic groups in the cation combined with the bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide anion. The chemicals involved include benzimidazole, 1-bromobutane, 2-phenylimidazole, 1-butylimidazole, benzyl chloride, and sodium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide. These chemicals are used to synthesize the ionic liquids through a two-step procedure. The synthesized ionic liquids are 1-butyl-3H-benzoimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide [BzBIm][NTf2], 1-butyl-2-phenyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide [BPhIm][NTf2], and 1-benzyl-3-butyl-imidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide [BnBIm][NTf2]. The study measures their density, viscosity, thermal decomposition, glass transition, and heat capacity at various temperatures and atmospheric pressure. The results show that the presence of different types of aromatic groups in the ILs structures significantly influences their physicochemical properties, notably through the number of available degrees of freedom by strengthening or weakening intermolecular π?π interactions.