Synthesis and physical-chemical properties of ionic liquids based on 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium cation

The reaction of 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMI.Cl) with sodium tetrafluoroborate or sodium hexafluorophosphate affords the molten salts BMI.X (1, X= BF4 and 2, X= PF6). Compounds 1 and 2 are viscous liquids within a wide range of temperature (down to 192 K). IR, NMR, density, viscosity and conductivity measurements suggest that compound 2 behaves quasi-molecular. Compound 1 is quasi-molecular below 279 K, but at higher temperatures is probably composed of imidazolium and tetrafluoroborate ions in an extended hydrogen-bonded network