Ionic liquids as vehicles for reactions and separations

I&EC 14

Charles L. Liotta, charles.liotta@carnegie.gatech.edu1, Charles A. Eckert, cae@gatech.edu2, Jason P. Hallett, jason.hallett@che.gatech.edu2, Pamela Pollet1, Ejae A. John, ejae.john@chemistry.gatech.edu1, Colin A. Thomas, colin.thomas@chemistry.gatech.edu1, Xiaowang Li3, and Philip G. Jessop3. (1) School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Specialty Separations Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, 311 Ferst Drive, NW, Atlanta, GA 30332-0400, (2) School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Specialty Separations Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, 311 Ferst Drive, NW, Atlanta, GA 30332-0100, (3) Department of Chemistry, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
Ionic liquids possess interesting properties as reaction and processing solvents, but large-scale implementation is hampered by potential difficulties associated with product recovery. We have explored several applications of ionic liquids with a keen focus on the separations that will accompany the purification of the reaction products. One exciting new possibility involves the reversible formation of ionic liquids using gaseous CO2. This molecular “switch” allows us to turn the polarity of the solvent on and off. We have also developed applications utilizing ionic liquids as phase-transfer catalysts for multiphase organic synthesis and for the separation of products from asymmetric catalytic reactions using supercritical CO2. The effect of high-pressure CO2 on the melting point of ionic salts has also been investigated. The results enable us to increase the liquid range of ionic solvents by as much as 100 °C by depressing the melting point.
 

Ionic Liquids: Not Just Solvents Anymore OR Ionic Liquids: Parallel Futures (Sponsored by Green Chemistry and Engineering, Separation Science and Technology and Novel Chemistry with Industrial Applications Sub-Divisions)
8:15 AM-12:25 PM, Sunday, 26 March 2006 Georgia World Congress Center -- B314, Oral

Division of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry

The 231st ACS National Meeting, Atlanta, GA, March 26-30, 2006