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Silylated amines, also known as reversible ionic liquids (RevILs), have been designed and structurally modified by our group for potential use as solvents for CO₂ capture from flue gas. An ideal CO₂ capture ionic liquid should be able to selectively and reversibly capture CO₂ and have tolerance for other components in flue gas, including SO₂, NO₂, and O₂. In this project, we study the reactivity, selectivity, uptake capacity, and reversibility of RevILs in the presence of pure SO₂ and mixed gas streams tosimulate flue gas compositions. Tripropylsilylamine (TPSA), a candidate CO₂ capture RevIL, reacts with pure SO₂ to form an ionic liquid consisting of an ammonium group and a salfamate group, supported by IR and NMR results. The resulting IL with pure SO₂ partially reverses when heated to temperatures of upto 500 C in the TGA. TGA analysis of the ionic liquid formed from a 4 vol% SO₂ in CO₂ mixture indicates a possible reversal temperature in the 86-163 C range.

In this work, electrolytes for secondary batteries and fuel cells were investigated. Ionic liquids (ILs), for use as battery electrolytes, were formed using quaternary ammonium salts (Quats) and aluminum chloride. The room temperature (RT) carbonate fuel cell was demonstrated by modifying a commercially available anion exchange membrane, utilizing positive quaternary ammonium fixed sites, to transport carbonate. The charge density on the nitrogen and the symmetry of the Quat were demonstrated to be the dominant factors in determining the IL melting point (MP). The introduction of a benzyl ring was found to lower the MP of the ILs by increasing the size of the Quat, while disrupting its symmetry. ILs formed from asymmetric quaternary ammonium salts having three distinct groups were found to have lower melting points than those formed using Quats with two groups. Replacement of an alkyl group with a rigid ether linkage can lower the IL melting point. Assymetric alkyl substituted Quats were found to form more electrochemically stable, less viscous ILs than their benzyl substituted counterparts. The increased electrochemical stability is due to the smaller butyl chain being a worse leaving group than the benzyl group. Similarly, the smaller size of the alkyl substituted Quats results in the lower viscosities. Lithium and sodium can be reversibly deposited from neutral ILs following the addition of an additive (such as SOCl2). The additive disrupts the strong coordination between Na+, or Li+, and AlCl4-. Chlorinated compounds, such as chloroform-D and carbon tetrachloride, were demonstrated to catalyze the reversible reduction of sodium. When neutralized with lithium and sodium, reversible Li-Na alloys were deposited. The Li-Na alloy appears to suppress dendrite formation and could potentially be used as a metal based anode in a rechargeable Li battery. A novel room temperature carbonate fuel cell was constructed. The alkaline environment could eliminate the need for water in the oxidation of methanol. Cells were operated on hydrogen, 1M methanol, and pure methanol fuels. CO2 was produced at the anode and O2 and CO2 were necessary at the cathode for operation, indicating that carbonate was the conducting ion.

A novel ionic liquid crystal (ILC) system (C18IMCNBr) with a liquid crystal alignment used as an electrolyte for a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) showed the higher short-circuit current density (Jsc) and the higher light-to-electricity conversion efficiency than the system using the non- alignment liquid crystalline ionic liquid (C18IMCNBr),due to the higher conductivity of liquid crystal alignment. The larger Jsc and efficiency value of liquid crystal alignment supported that the higher conductivity of liquid crystal alignment is attributed to the enhancement of the exchange reaction between iodide species. As a result of formation of the two-dimensional electron conductive pathways organized by the localized I3- and I- at liquid crystal alignment layers, the concentration of polyiodide species exemplified by Im- (m =5,7, ...) was higher in alignment C18IMCNBr. However, in the two-dimensional electron conductive pathways of C18IMCNBr, more collision frequencies between iodide species (I-,I3-, and Im-) could be achieved than that in the three-dimensional space of C18IMCNBr, which could lead to the promotion of the exchange reaction between iodide species, the contribution of a two-dimensional structure of the conductive pathway through the increase of collision frequency between iodide species was proposed.

This study used jatropha oil, waste cooing oil, and soybean oil as the raw materials for investigating effects of catalyst concentration, reaction time, reaction temperature, methanol-to-oil ratio, and catalyst types on biodiesel yield. The authors also heated up the oil to speed up the transesterification and to make the reaction more complete. Jatropha oil, waste cooing oil, and soybean oil were used as the raw materials, and three types of ionic liquid or zwitterionic liquid, [PyrMe][HSO4], [PyrMeBuS][HSO4], and [MorMeA][Br], were added as catalysts for co-catalysis while heating the oil raw materials to create the best operational condition for biodiesel production. For soybean oil used as the raw material, the best catalyzing effect (a 99.4% yield) was achieved by adding [MorMeA][Br] while the reaction time was 6min, reaction temperature was 70 ¢J, and the methanol-to-oil ratio was 9:1. Under the best reaction condition, catalyzing effect was compared between the addition of sulfate-containing ionic liquid and sulfate-containing zwitterionic liquid. The yield of the addition of sulfate-containing ionic liquid and sulfate-containing zwitterionic liquid were 97.2% and 98.7% respectively. It can be found from this study that for increasing biodiesel yield, the addition of zwitterionic liquid for co-catalysis is more effective than the addition of homogeneous ionic liquid. Comparing the best operational condition between jatropha oil and soybean oil, the best yield of jatropha oil and soybean oil was 98.5% and 99.4% respectively, while the concentration of sodium hydroxide was 0.75 wt%, [MorMeA][Br] of 1.00 wt% was added, the methanol-to-oil ratio was 9:1, the reaction time was 6 min, and the reaction temperature was 70¢J. As for disposed cooking oil, the best operational condition rendered a yield of 98.1% when the concentration of sodium hydroxide was 0.75 wt%, [MorMeA][Br] of 1.00 wt% was added, the methanol-to-oil ratio was 9:1, the reaction time was 7 min, and the reaction temperature was 70¢J. For waste cooking oil, because of the containing of impurities from frying, the yield was slightly lower and the reaction time was longer.