Stability Phenomena Associated with the Development of Polymer-Based Nanopesticides.

Pesticides have been used in agricultural activity for decades because they represent the first defense against pathogens, harmful insects, and parasitic weeds. Conventional pesticides are commonly employed at high dosages to prevent their loss and degradation, guaranteeing effectiveness; however, this results in a large waste of resources and significant environmental pollution. In this regard, the search for biocompatible, biodegradable, and responsive materials has received greater attention in the last years to achieve the obtention of an efficient and green pesticide formulation.

Extraction of silver(I) from aqueous solutions in the absence and presence of copper(II) with a methimazole-based ionic liquid.

The ionic liquid (IL) 2-butylthiolonium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide, [mimSBu][NTf(2)], facilitates the efficient extraction of silver(I) from aqueous media via interaction with both the cation and anion components of the IL. Studies with a conventional aqueous-IL two phase system as well as microextraction of silver(I) by a thick IL film adhered to an electrode monitored in situ by cyclic voltammetry, established that [mimSBu][NTf(2)] can extract electroactive silver(I) ions from an aqueous solution. The pH of the aqueous phase decreases upon addition of [mimSBu](+), which is attributed to partial release of the hydrogen attached to the N(3) nitrogen atom of the imidazolium ring.

Nitrile functionalized methimazole-based ionic liquids.

The alkylation reaction of 2-mercapto-1-methylimidazole 1b with 2-chloroacetonitrile and 2-chloropropionitrile produced S-alkyl methimazole chlorides 2a and 2b which were subjected to anion metathesis with lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide, LiNTf(2), to afford nitrile functionalized methimazole-based room temperature ionic liquids 3a and 3b in 94% and 89% yields, respectively. Ionic liquids 3a and 3b have reasonably wide electrochemical windows. The efficient extraction of Ag(+) from aqueous media into 3a and 3b is also reported.

Extraction of copper(II) ions from aqueous solutions with a methimazole-based ionic liquid.

The recently synthesized ionic liquid (IL) 2-butylthiolonium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide, [mimSBu][NTf(2)], has been used for the extraction of copper(II) from aqueous solution. The pH of the aqueous phase decreases upon addition of [mimSBu](+), which is attributed to partial release of the hydrogen attached to the N(3) nitrogen atom of the imidazolium ring. The presence of sparingly soluble water in [mimSBu][NTf(2)] also is required in solvent extraction studies to promote the incorporation of Cu(II) into the [mimSBu][NTf(2)] ionic liquid phase.

Nonadditivity of faradaic currents and modification of double layer capacitance in the voltammetry of mixtures of ferrocene and ferrocenium salts in ionic liquids.

Electrochemical studies on the Fc + e(-) <==> Fc(+) (Fc = ferrocene) process have been undertaken via the oxidation of Fc and reduction of Fc(+) as the hexafluorophosphate (PF(6)(-)) or tetrafluoroborate (BF(4)(-)) salts and their mixtures in three ionic liquids (ILs) (1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate). Data obtained at macro- and microdisk electrodes using conventional dc and Fourier-transformed large-amplitude ac (FT-ac) voltammetry reveal that diffusion coefficients for Fc and Fc(+) differ significantly and are a function of the Fc and Fc(+) concentration, in contrast to findings in molecular solvents with 0.1 M added supporting electrolyte media.