Anionic surfactant ionic liquids with 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium cations: characterization and application.

For the first time a series of anionic surfactant ionic liquids (SAILs) has been synthesized based on organic surfactant anions and 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium cations. These compounds are more environmentally friendly and chemically tunable as compared to other common ionic liquids. A detailed investigation of physicochemical properties highlights potential applications from battery design to reaction control, and studies into aqueous aggregation behavior, as well as structuring in pure ILs, point to possible uses in electrochemistry.

Synthesis of amphoteric polystyrene particles using mixed initiators.

The synthesis of amphoteric polystyrene latex particles, using a mixture of cationic (amidinium based) and anionic (carboxylic acid based) initiators in a surfactant-free emulsion polymerization reaction is investigated; this extends work described in an earlier paper by Bolt et al. Electrophoretic mobility measurements show the effect of the initiator concentration ratio on the isoelectric point (IEP) of the particles. A good correlation with theoretical predictions is obtained.