Investigation of confined ionic liquid in nanostructured materials by a combination of SANS, contrast-matching SANS, and nitrogen adsorption.

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), contrast-matching SANS, and nitrogen adsorption have been utilized to investigate the confined ionic liquid (IL) [bmim][PF(6)] phase in ordered mesoporous silica MCM-41 and SBA-15. The results suggest that the pores of SBA-15 are completely filled with IL whereas a small fraction of the pore volume, the pore "core", of MCM-41 is empty. The contrast-matching SANS measurements confirm the enhanced solubility of water in IL.

Grafting of imidazolium based ionic liquid on the pore surface of nanoporous materials--study of physicochemical and thermodynamic properties.

Supported ionic liquid phase (SILP) systems were prepared by immobilizing a methylimidazolium cation based ionic liquid onto the pore surface of two types of support, MCM-41 and Vycor. The "grafting to" method was applied, involving (3-chloropropyl)-trialkoxysilane anchoring on the supports' silanol groups, followed by treatment with 1-methylimidazole and ion exchange with PF(6)(-). Optimum surface pretreatment procedures and reaction conditions for enhanced ionic liquid (IL) loading were properly defined and applied for all modifications.