Design of Reversible Ionic Liquids for Controlling Reactions and Separations

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A large number of chemical processes (reactions and separations) are performed in solution. The recently discovered possibility to reversibly “switch” the nature of a solvent system (ionic vs covalent) by controlled manipulation on a molecular level opens to major paths for basic research and future applications. On the one hand, the switch can be used to change the physical properties of the solvent and in particular this relates to its solvent power (similis similibus solvuntur = like dissolve like). On the other hand, the reversible change of molecular interaction of solvents with reagents and catalysts provides novel control mechanisms over chemical transformations occurring in such media. The proposed research in this project comprises detailed investigations of the underlying physico-chemical principles and exploratory studies of chemical processes in new switchable systems that (1) enable reversible control over the preferred reaction pathway (neutral vs ionic) (2) facilitate product isolation, and (3) allow solvent recycle and reuse.