2,2'-Bi(1H-imidazolium) Dichloride

Towards large-scale, fully ab initio calculations of ionic liquids

Ionic liquids have attracted a substantial amount of interest as replacement of traditional electrolytes in high efficiency electrochemical devices for generation and storage of energy due to their superior physical and chemical properties, especially low volatility and high electrochemical stability. For enhanced performance of the electrochemical devices ionic liquids are required to be highly conductive and low viscous. Long-range Coulomb and short-range dispersion interactions between ions affect physical and chemical properties of ionic liquids in a very complex way, thus preventing direct correlations to the chemical structure. Considering a vast combination of available cations and anions that can be used to synthesize ionic liquids, development of predictive theoretical approaches that allow for accurate tailoring of their physical properties has become crucial to further enhance the performance of electrochemical devices such as lithium batteries, fuel and solar cells. This perspective article gives a thorough overview of current theoretical approaches applied for studying thermodynamic (melting point and enthalpy of vapourisation) and transport (conductivity and viscosity) properties of ionic liquids, emphasizing their reliability and limitations. Strategies for improving predictive power and versatility of existing theoretical approaches are also outlined.

Tris(biimidazolato)chromium(III) as a building block for hydrogen-bonded supramolecular assemblies

The trischelate [Cr(H2biim)3](NO3)3 complex of 2,2′-biimidazole (H2biim) was obtained by reacting CrCl3·3THF with [Ag(H2biim)](NO3) in methanol. In the solvent-free material, each ligand forms two N-H···O bonds to a nitrate ion and generates locally neutral [Cr(H2biim)3](NO3)3 units. A methanol solvate was also obtained in which intermolecular interactions involve optimal use of the hydrogen-bonding ability of the [Cr(H2biim)3]3+ cations, NO3– anions, and methanol molecules. In both cases, there is no long-range regular organization of the complex units. Deprotonation of [Cr(H2biim)3](NO3)3 with NaOCH3 yielded neutral Cr(Hbiim)3. Its powder pattern is similar to that of Ru(Hbiim)3, suggesting that it also consists of mutually perpendicular interlocked honeycomb sheets. Recrystallization by slow diffusion of diisopropyl ether into a methanol solution yielded a porous material of composition Cr(Hbiim)3·2.6C6H14O in which superposed honeycomb sheets create infinite channels (~13 Å diameter) filled with disordered solvent molecules. A totally different structure is adopted by the solvate Cr(Hbiim)3·C6H6·2H2O, where the benzene molecule is encapsulated in a cavity created by five complex molecules.Key words: chromium, biimidazole, supramolecular, crystal structure, hydrogen bonding.

Hydrogen-Bonded Networks in Organic Conductors: Crystal Structures and Electronic Properties of Charge-Transfer Salts of Tetracyanoquinodimethane with 4,4‘-Biimidazolium Having Multiprotonated States

[structure: see text] Novel hydrogen-bonded charge-transfer salts of TCNQ with mono- and diprotonated 4,4'-biimidazolium were synthesized in order to demonstrate the high potential of the 4,4'-biimidazole system in a molecular conductor from the viewpoint of crystal engineering and electronic modulation. Crystal structure analyses of neutral 4,4'-biimidazole and TCNQ salts revealed the formation of two types of hydrogen-bonding modes of the 4,4'-biimidazole moiety depending on the protonated states. Neutral 4,4'-biimidazole possessed a linear chain mode of hydrogen-bonding to construct two-dimensional network. In the TCNQ salt of monoprotonated 4,4'-biimidazolium, the 4,4'-biimidazole moiety formed a dimer by a complementary mode of hydrogen-bonding. In contrast, the salt of diprotonated 4,4'-biimidazolium showed a double linear chain mode of hydrogen-bonding to construct a three-dimensional network. The formation of two types of hydrogen-bonding modes made the difference in the stacking patterns of TCNQ columns and in their transport properties. The TCNQ salt of diprotonated 4,4'-biimidazolium exhibited high electrical conductivity (sigma(rt) = 1.1 x 10(-1) S cm(-1)).