Time resolved spectroscopic investigation of chromophores in ionic liquids

Abstract

Ionic liquids are by definition salts with melting points lower than 100ºC. The growing interest in such materials comes from the fact that these liquids are potential substitutes of conventional organic solvents in several processes. It is explained essentially to properties as high chemical and thermal stability, wide electrochemical window, and the extremely low vapor pressure, that avoids evaporation losses. One of the characteristics of ionic liquids that distinguishes them from conventional solvents is the existence of polar and nonpolar microdomains, responsible by the distinct molecular interactions, depending on the nature of the chemical species dissolved in such medium. Several spectroscopic techniques have been used to investigate the solute-solvent interactions in ionic liquids. The present project aims the systematic study of different molecular probes in ionic liquids (IL), by conventional spectroscopic techniques (UV-Vis, Raman, Infrared, and others) at IQ-USP, and by time resolved spectroscopic techniques at OSU. The main goal is the understanding of the molecular factors that govern the solute-solvent interactions and how the microdomains affect the solubility of such species in this medium. (AU)