1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate
Encyclopedia
1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, also known as BMIM-PF6, is a viscous, colourless, hydrophobic
and non-water soluble ionic liquid
. Together with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, BMIM-BF4, it is one of the most widely studied ionic liquids and is commercially available from most of the major international suppliers of chemicals. It is known to very slowly decompose in the presence of water.
with 1-chlorobutane
. A metathesis reaction with potassium hexafluorophosphate
gives the desired compound; the tetrafluoroborate may be prepared by analogously using potassium tetrafluoroborate.
Hydrophobe
In chemistry, hydrophobicity is the physical property of a molecule that is repelled from a mass of water....
and non-water soluble ionic liquid
Ionic liquid
An ionic liquid is a salt in the liquid state. In some contexts, the term has been restricted to salts whose melting point is below some arbitrary temperature, such as . While ordinary liquids such as water and gasoline are predominantly made of electrically neutral molecules, ILs are largely made...
. Together with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, BMIM-BF4, it is one of the most widely studied ionic liquids and is commercially available from most of the major international suppliers of chemicals. It is known to very slowly decompose in the presence of water.
Preparation
BMIM-PF6 is commercially available. It may be obtained in two steps: BMIM-Cl is synthesized by alkylating 1-methylimidazole1-Methylimidazole
1-Methylimidazole or N-Methylimidazole is an aromatic heterocyclic organic compound with the formula CH3C3H3N2. Its N-methylation removes the possibility of tautomerization, which occurs in imidazole and many imidazole derivatives. 1-Methylimidazole maintains the pyridine-like nitrogen of...
with 1-chlorobutane
1-Chlorobutane
1-Chlorobutane is an alkyl halide with the chemical formula C4H9Cl. It reacts with lithium metal to give n-butyllithium:...
. A metathesis reaction with potassium hexafluorophosphate
Potassium hexafluorophosphate
Potassium hexafluorophosphate is the chemical compound with the formula KPF6. This colourless salt consists of potassium cations and hexafluorophosphate anions. It is prepared by the reaction: This exothermic reaction is conducted in liquid hydrogen fluoride. The salt is stable in hot alkaline...
gives the desired compound; the tetrafluoroborate may be prepared by analogously using potassium tetrafluoroborate.
Solubility
- Soluble: 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, ...
- Non-soluble: diethyl etherDiethyl etherDiethyl ether, also known as ethyl ether, simply ether, or ethoxyethane, is an organic compound in the ether class with the formula . It is a colorless, highly volatile flammable liquid with a characteristic odor...
, waterWaterWater is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...