Date of Last Revision
2023-05-03 12:50:26
Major
Chemistry
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Date of Expected Graduation
Spring 2019
Abstract
Ionic liquids are compounds which are held together through ionic interactions, and can be classified as salts. However, while most salts have very high melting temperatures, ionic liquids are a class of compounds that can melt at very low temperatures, often at room temperatures. Ionic liquids can have optimal electronic properties for electrochemical applications, particularly for the easy transport of charges. Some new materials are being explored for the development of ionic liquids; one of these materials is ferrocene. Varying the substituents which are attached to ferrocene may produce a material that can be used as an electrolyte in energy storage devices, particularly in redox-flow batteries (RFBs). Using an ionic liquid as an electrolyte can increase the charge density, as the charged material may be the actual liquid largely undiluted by a solvent such as water. The synthesis and characterization of a series of ferrocene based ionic compounds is discussed in this study. These compounds contain bis-ferrocene sulfonates as the anion, with 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium species as cations, where the alkyl groups are: methyl, pentyl, hexyl, octyl, decyl, and dodecyl. These salts have been synthesized successfully, and are characterized by methods including infrared (IR) spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR), and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (13C NMR); additionally, some crystal structures were obtained. The electrochemical analyses were conducted by the collaborating research group of Professor Aliaksei Boika.
Research Sponsor
Christopher J. Ziegler
First Reader
Aliaksei Boika
Second Reader
Claire Tessier
Recommended Citation
Petrochko, Stephen, "The Synthesis of Ferrocene-Based Ionic Liquids" (2019). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 914.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/914