Queensborough Community College, Department of Chemistry
slallramnarine@qcc.cuny.edu Phone: 718-281-5572 Link to web site|
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Current efforts to promote sustainable or green chemistry includes the use of ionic liquids as alternative solvents that do not contribute to air pollution. Ionic liquids (ILs) are compounds that are expected to be high melting crystalline salts at room temperature but are unexpectedly liquids. They have potential applications as new electrolytes in batteries and as alternative media for chemical reactions. They have also been investigated for use in fuel cells, chromatography, as lubricants and as media for the storage and processing of radioactive waste. We have recently synthesized a series of ionic liquids based on mono- and polycationic ammonium species bearing phosphate (PO43-) bis(oxalato)borate (BOB-) and bis(trifyl)imide [(CF3SO2)2N-] anions. We are currently working on the physical characterization of these liquids and investigating their applications as alternative solvents. Some of our collaborative work involves synthesizing ILs using microwave-assisted techniques at Brookhaven National Laboratory and studying the toxicity of ILs to a series of microorganisms including aquatic organisms. The toxicity studies are done at Kingsborough Community College and Queens College. |