1- (2-Hydroxyethyl)-3-methylimidazolium Tetrafluoroborate, CAS: 374564-83-7

Key Applications:

1. Solvent and Co‑solvent in Organic Synthesis

• Supports acid‑catalyzed and metal‑catalyzed transformations due to its polar, mildly coordinating environment.
• Hydroxyl group enhances miscibility with water and alcohols, enabling biphasic or monophasic reaction tuning.
• Useful in nucleophilic substitution, esterification, and condensation reactions where controlled polarity is beneficial.

2. Medium for Biocatalysis

• Hydroxyl-functionalized ionic liquids often improve enzyme stability and activity relative to non-functionalized ILs.
• Suitable for lipase‑catalyzed esterifications, transesterifications, and kinetic resolutions.
• BF₄⁻ salts with hydroxyethyl cations can modulate water activity, improving selectivity in biotransformations.

3. Electrochemical Applications

• Serves as a conductive electrolyte or electrolyte additive in systems requiring high ionic strength and low volatility.
• Hydroxyl group increases hydrogen‑bonding networks, influencing viscosity and ionic mobility.
• Applicable in supercapacitors, electrochemical sensors, and electrodeposition environments where protic ILs improve interface behavior.

4. Gas Absorption and Separation

• Hydroxyethyl-functionalized ILs show enhanced CO₂ solubility via physical absorption and weak chemisorption.
• Can be used in CO₂ capture, acid gas scrubbing, and gas–liquid separation studies.
• BF₄⁻ anion provides relatively low viscosity compared to more strongly coordinating anions, improving mass transfer.

5. Catalytic Support and Reaction Medium for Green Chemistry

• Acts as a recyclable reaction medium for catalytic systems (e.g., Pd, Cu, Brønsted acids).
• Hydroxyl group can participate in secondary interactions that stabilize catalytic intermediates.
• Useful in microwave‑assisted and solvent‑free reaction protocols.

6. Polymer and Material Processing

• Functions as a plasticizer or processing aid for polar polymers such as PVA, cellulose derivatives, and polyamides.
• Hydroxyl-functionalized ILs can dissolve or swell biopolymers, enabling film formation, fiber spinning, or composite preparation.
• BF₄⁻ salts are often used in ion-conductive polymer blends.

7. Extraction and Separation Processes

• Effective in liquid–liquid extraction of metal ions, dyes, and polar organics due to tunable polarity.
• Hydroxyl group enhances selectivity for hydrogen‑bonding solutes.
• Useful in aqueous biphasic systems (ABS) when paired with salts or polymers.

8. Thermal Fluids and Heat‑Transfer Media

• High thermal stability and negligible vapor pressure make it suitable for heat‑transfer and thermal storage studies.
• Hydroxyl functionality can modulate heat capacity and viscosity relative to alkyl-only ILs.

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