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Exploring the influence of the type of anion in imidazolium ionic liquids on its thermal stability

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Abstract

In this research, three kinds of imidazole ionic liquids were selected as the research objects. Among them, 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazole bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imine ([BMIM][Tf2N]) was used for gas adsorption, while 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazole acetate ([BMIM][Ac]) and 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazole tetrafluoroborate ([BMIM][BF4]) were used as extractants to replace traditional organic extractants. The thermal stability of three selected ionic liquids was studied, and their decomposition pathway and thermal stability were compared to explore the correlation between them. Thermal decomposition characteristic of [BMIM][Ac], [BMIM][BF4], and [BMIM][Tf2N] was analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis. For these three ILs, dynamic thermogravimetric analyses under nitrogen atmosphere were performed using thermal gravimetric analyzer. The TG curve shows that the order of short-term thermal stability of three ionic liquids is [BMIM][Ac] < [BMIM][BF4] < [BMIM][Tf2N]. Both Flynn–Wall–Ozawa and Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose methods were used to analyze the thermal dynamics of the experimental process. The apparent activation energies calculated by two different kinetic methods of the three ILs also have some slight differences. The possible influence of the decomposition mechanism on thermal stability was analyzed by thermogravimetric coupled with Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (TG-FTIR). After analyzing the experimental results, it is obvious that as the thermal stability of ionic liquids increases, their decomposition mechanisms become more and more complex.

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Abbreviations

A :

Pre-exponential factor (min–1)

E a :

Apparent activation energy (kJ mol–1)

R :

Molar gas constant (J mol–1 K–1)

T :

Absolute temperature at arbitrary time (K)

T onset :

Onset temperature (K)

T peak :

Peak temperature (K)

T f :

Final temperature (K)

α :

Conversion degree (Non-dimensional)

β :

Heating rate (K min–1)

g(α):

Integral form of kinetic model (function of the kinetic model expression)

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, under Contract Number 52104177, and the Anhui Provincial Natural Science Foundation, China, under Contract Number 1908085ME125.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical Engineering, Anhui University of Science and Technology (AUST), Huainan, 232001, Anhui, China

    Li-Yu Zhang & Yin Wang

  2. Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology (YunTech), Douliou, 64002, Yunlin, Taiwan

    Shang-Hao Liu

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KFW performed writing—original draft preparation (lead), writing—review and editing (lead), formal analysis (lead), and visualization (lead). SHL contributed to methodology (lead), formal analysis (supporting), and funding acquisition (lead). YW performed formal analysis (supporting) and funding acquisition (supporting).

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Correspondence to Shang-Hao Liu.

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Zhang, LY., Liu, SH. & Wang, Y. Exploring the influence of the type of anion in imidazolium ionic liquids on its thermal stability. J Therm Anal Calorim 148, 4985–4995 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-023-12037-z

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