Shielding of Ionic Interactions by Sulfur Dioxide in an Ionic Liquid

SO2 absorption in pure ionic liquids: Solubility and functionalization

The SO₂ solubility in ionic liquids and absorption mechanisms with different functionalities, including ether, halide, carboxylate, dicarboxylate, thiocynate, phenol, amino, azole groups, etc., are presented in this review. Strategies of improving SO₂ capture with low binding energy and the separation performance from CO₂ are also concluded. Generally, moderate basicity is favourable for enhancing SO₂ capacity and the water (below 6 wt%) effect on absorption is indefinite but generally slight. Introducing electron-withdrawing substituents such as nitrile, halogen, aldehyde and carboxylic groups are proposed to decrease the chemical absorption enthalpy between ionic liquid and SO₂ in order to reduce regeneration power consumption. Although it is promising, the absorption enthalpy is still much higher than the physisorption performance especially of the ether-functionalized ones. The biocompatible choline-based, betaine-based, and amino acid ionic liquids have clear trends to be applied in SO₂ capture due to their biodegradability, nontoxicity and easy accessibility. Generally, comparing to the traditional solvents, ionic liquids have made great improvement in SO₂ capacity, however, the high viscosity and desorption energy are two main obstacles for SO₂ absorption and separation. Molecular simulations have been applied to reveal the absorption regimes involving the roles of basic functionalities and physical interactions especially the hydrogen bonds, which could be referred for structure designing of the available ionic liquids with readily fluid characteristics and absorption ability.

Solubility of sulfur dioxide in tetraglyme-NH4SCN ionic liquid: high absorption efficiency

Simple prepared tetraglyme-NH₄SCN ionic liquid is used to absorb sulfur dioxide efficiently and regenerate.

Local environment structure and dynamics of CO2 in the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide and related ionic liquids

Despite the innumerous papers regarding the study of the ionic liquids as a potential candidate for CO₂ capture, many details concerning the structure and dynamics of CO₂ in the system are still to be revealed, i.e., the correlation between the local environment structure and the dynamic properties of the substance. This present work relied on the performance of molecular dynamics both for the neat [C₂mim][Tf₂N] and [C₂mim][Tf₂N]/CO₂ mixtures in an attempt to elucidate the local environment of CO₂ and their effects on the dynamic properties of [C₂mim][Tf₂N]. A slight change in the orientation of the cation and anion could be observed, which was correlated to the cation and anion moving away from each other in order to receive the carbon dioxide. The gas molecules pushed both the cation and the anion away to create sufficient void to its accommodation. The diffusion coefficient of [C₂mim]⁺ is higher than [Tf₂N]^- regardless the increase of the CO₂ concentration. The addition of CO₂ in the ionic liquid has shown an increase of 4-5 times for the diffusivity of ions, which was related to the decrease of cation-anion interaction strength. The transport properties' results showed that the addition of CO₂ in the ionic liquid generates the fluidization of the system, decreasing the viscosity as a consequence of the local environment structure changing. Likewise, the effect of the type of anion and cation on the system properties was studied considering [Ac]^- and [BMpyr]⁺ ions, showing large effects by the change of anion to [Ac]^- which rise from the strong [C₂mim]⁺-[Ac]^- interaction, which conditions the solvation of ions by CO₂ molecules.

Vibrational Spectroscopy of Ionic Liquids

Vibrational spectroscopy has continued use as a powerful tool to characterize ionic liquids since the literature on room temperature molten salts experienced the rapid increase in number of publications in the 1990's. In the past years, infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopies have provided insights on ionic interactions and the resulting liquid structure in ionic liquids. A large body of information is now available concerning vibrational spectra of ionic liquids made of many different combinations of anions and cations, but reviews on this literature are scarce. This review is an attempt at filling this gap. Some basic care needed while recording IR or Raman spectra of ionic liquids is explained. We have reviewed the conceptual basis of theoretical frameworks which have been used to interpret vibrational spectra of ionic liquids, helping the reader to distinguish the scope of application of different methods of calculation. Vibrational frequencies observed in IR and Raman spectra of ionic liquids based on different anions and cations are discussed and eventual disagreements between different sources are critically reviewed. The aim is that the reader can use this information while assigning vibrational spectra of an ionic liquid containing another particular combination of anions and cations. Different applications of IR and Raman spectroscopies are given for both pure ionic liquids and solutions. Further issues addressed in this review are the intermolecular vibrations that are more directly probed by the low-frequency range of IR and Raman spectra and the applications of vibrational spectroscopy in studying phase transitions of ionic liquids.

Molecular dynamics and a spectroscopic study of sulfur dioxide absorption by an ionic liquid and its mixtures with PEO

An investigation comprising experimental techniques (absorption capacity of SO₂ and vibrational spectroscopy) and molecular simulations (thermodynamics, structure, and dynamics) has been performed for the polymer poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), the ionic liquid butyltrimethylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([N₄₁₁₁][Tf₂N]) and their mixtures as sulfur dioxide (SO₂) absorbing materials. The polymer PEO has higher capacity to absorb SO₂ than the neat ionic liquid, whereas the mixtures presented intermediary absorption capacities. The band assigned to the symmetric stretching band of SO₂ at ca. 1140 cm^-1, which is considered a spectroscopic probe for the strength of SO₂ interactions with its neighborhood, shifts to lower wavenumbers as more negative total interaction energy values of SO₂ were evaluated from the simulations. The solvation free energy of SO₂, ΔG_sol, correlates linearly with the absorption capacity of SO₂. The negative values of ΔG_sol are due to negative and positive values of enthalpy and entropy, respectively. In the ionic liquid, SO₂ weakens the cation-anion interactions, whereas in the mixture with a high content of PEO these interactions are slightly increased. Such effects were correlated with the relative population of cisoid and transoid conformers of Tf₂N anions as revealed by Raman spectroscopy. Moreover, the presence of SO₂ in the systems provokes the increase of diffusion coefficients of the absorbing species in comparison with the systems without the gas. Proper to the slow dynamics of the polymer, the diffusion coefficient of ions and SO₂ diminishes with the increase of the PEO content.

Understanding SO2 Capture by Ionic Liquids

Ionic liquids have generated interest for efficient SO2 absorption due to their low vapor pressure and versatility. In this work, a systematic investigation of the structure, thermodynamics, and dynamics of SO2 absorption by ionic liquids has been carried out through quantum chemical calculations and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. MP2 level calculations of several ion pairs complexed with SO2 reveal its preferential interaction with the anion. Results of condensed phase MD simulations of SO2-IL mixtures manifested the essential role of both cations and anions in the solvation of SO2, where the solute is surrounded by the "cage" formed by the cations (primarily its alkyl tail) through dispersion interactions. These structural effects of gas absorption are substantiated by calculated Gibbs free energy of solvation; the dissolution is demonstrated to be enthalpy driven. The entropic loss of SO2 absorption in ionic liquids with a larger anion such as [NTf2](-) has been quantified and has been attributed to the conformational restriction of the anion imposed by its interaction with SO2. SO2 loading IL decreases its shear viscosity and enhances the electrical conductivity. This systematic study provides a molecular level understanding which can aid the design of task-specific ILs as electrolytes for efficient SO2 absorption.

SO2 Solvation in the 1-Ethyl-3-Methylimidazolium Thiocyanate Ionic Liquid by Incorporation into the Extended Cation-Anion Network

We have carried out an ab initio molecular dynamics study on the sulfur dioxide (SO₂) solvation in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium thiocyanate for which we have observed that both cations and anions play an essential role in the solvation of SO₂. Whereas, the anions tend to form a thiocyanate- and much less often an isothiocyanate-SO₂ adduct, the cations create a “cage” around SO₂ with those groups of atoms that donate weak interactions like the alkyl hydrogen atoms as well as the heavy atoms of the \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\pi $$\end{document}π-system. Despite these similarities between the solvation of SO₂ and CO₂ in ionic liquids, an essential difference was observed with respect to the acidic protons. Whereas CO₂ avoids accepting hydrogen bonds form the acidic hydrogen atoms of the cations, SO₂ can from O(SO₂)–H(cation) hydrogen bonds and thus together with the strong anion-adduct it actively integrates in the hydrogen bond network of this particular ionic liquid. The fact that SO₂ acts in this way was termed a linker effect by us, because the SO₂ can be situated between cation and anion operating as a linker between them. The particular contacts are the H(cation)\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\cdots $$\end{document}⋯O(SO₂) hydrogen bond and a S(anion)–S(SO₂) sulfur bridge. Clearly, this observation provides a possible explanation for the question of why the SO₂ solubility in these ionic liquids is so high.

Assessment of DFT methods for studying acid gas capture by ionic liquids

For the first time, this work reports an analysis of the performance of Density Functional methods for studying acid gas capture (CO₂ and SO₂) by ionic liquids (ILs).

A density functional theory insight towards the rational design of ionic liquids for SO2 capture

A systematic density functional theory (DFT) analysis has been carried out to obtain information at the molecular level on those factors related to efficient SO₂ capture by ionic liquids. A set of 55 ionic liquids, for which high gas solubility is expected, has been selected.

Nitrile-functionalized tertiary amines as highly efficient and reversible SO2 absorbents

Three different types of nitrile-functionalized amines, including 3-(N,N-diethylamino)propionitrile (DEAPN), 3-(N,N-dibutylamino)propionitrile (DBAPN), and N-methyl-N,N-dipropionitrile amine (MADPN) were synthesized, and their SO2 absorption performances were evaluated and compared with those of hydroxy-functionalized amines such as N,N-diethyl-N-ethanol amine (DEEA), N,N-dibutyl-N-ethanol amine (DBEA), and N-methyl-N,N-diethanol amine (MDEA). Absorption-desorption cycle experiments clearly demonstrate that the nitrile-functionalized amines are more efficient than the hydroxy-functionalized amines in terms of absorption rate and regenerability. Computational calculations with DBEA and DBAPN revealed that DBEA bearing a hydroxyethyl group chemically interacts with SO2 through oxygen atom, forming an ionic compound with a covalently bound OSO2(-) group. On the contrary, DBAPN bearing a nitrile group physically interacts with SO2 through the nitrogen and the hydrogen atoms of the two methylene groups adjacent to the amino and nitrile functionalities.

Reversible capture of SO2 through functionalized ionic liquids

Emission of SO2 in flue gas from the combustion of fossil fuels leads to severe environmental problems. Exploration of green and efficient methods to capture SO2 is an interesting topic, especially at lower SO2 partial pressures. In this work, ionic liquids (ILs) 1-(2-diethylaminoethyl)-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([Et2 NEMim][Tf2 N]) and 1-(2-diethylaminoethyl)-3-methylimidazolium tetrazolate ([Et2 NEMim][Tetz]) were synthesized. The performances of the two ILs to capture SO2 were studied under different conditions. It was demonstrated that the ILs were very efficient for SO2 absorption. The [Et2 NEMim][Tetz] IL designed in this work could absorb 0.47 g(SO2)g(IL)(-1) at 0.0101 MPa SO2 partial pressure, which is the highest capacity reported to date under the same conditions. The main reason for the large capacity was that both the cation and the anion could capture SO2 chemically. In addition, the IL could easily be regenerated, and the very high absorption capacity and rapid absorption/desorption rates were not changed over five repeated cycles.

Highly efficient SO₂ absorption and its subsequent utilization by weak base/polyethylene glycol binary system

A binary system consisting of polyethylene glycol (PEG, proton donor)/PEG-functionalized base with suitable basicity was developed for efficient gas desulfurization (GDS) and can be regarded as an alternative approach to circumvent the energy penalty problem in the GDS process. High capacity for SO(2) capture up to 4.88 mol of SO(2)/mol of base was achieved even under low partial pressure of SO(2). Furthermore, SO(2) desorption runs smoothly under mild conditions (N(2), 25 °C) and no significant drop in SO(2) absorption was observed after five-successive absorption-desorption cycles. On the other hand, the absorbed SO(2) by PEG(150)MeIm/PEG(150), being considered as the activated form of SO(2), can be directly transformed into value-added chemicals under mild conditions, thus eliminating the energy penalty for SO(2) desorption and simultaneously realizing recycle of the absorbents. Thus, this SO(2) capture and utilization (SCU) process offers an alternative way for GDS and potentially enables the SO(2) conversion from flue gas to useful chemicals as a value-added process.

Highly efficient SO2 absorption/activation and subsequent utilization by polyethylene glycol-functionalized Lewis basic ionic liquids

Up to now, flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) is one of the most effective techniques to control SO(2) emission from the combustion of fossil fuels. The conventional technology for FGD poses serious inherent drawbacks such as formation of byproducts and volatilization of solvents. In this work, polyethylene glycol (PEG)-functionalized Lewis basic ionic liquids (ILs) derived from DABCO were proved to be highly efficient absorbents for FGD due to its specific features such as high thermal stability, negligible vapor pressure, high loading capacity. Notably, PEG(150)MeDABCONTf(2) gave an extremely high SO(2) capacity (4.38 mol mol(-1) IL), even under 0.1 bar SO(2) partial pressure (1.01 mol mol(-1) IL), presumably owing to the strong SO(2)-philic characterization of the PEG chain. Furthermore, the absorbed SO(2) could be easy to release by just bubbling N(2) at room temperature, greatly reducing energy requirement for SO(2) desorption. In addition, SO(2)/CO(2) selectivity (110) of PEG(150)MeDABCONTf(2) is two times larger than the non-functionalized imidazolium IL (45). On the other hand, through activation of SO(2) with the tertiary nitrogen in the cation, Lewis basic ILs such as PEG(150)MeDABCOBr proved to be efficient catalysts for the conversion of SO(2) to some value-added chemicals such as cyclic sulfites without utilization of any organic solvent or additive. Thus, this protocol would pave the way for the development of technological innovation towards efficient and low energy demanded practical process for SO(2) absorption and subsequent transformation.