POSS-tetraalkylammonium salts: A new class of ionic liquids

A series of new polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane ionic liquids (POSS-ILs) based on the trimethylpropylammonium dielectric constants, which, conversely, display slight differences originating from the nature of the anions. The long alkyl-chain substituents on the POSS core infer on this series of ILs an overall hydrophobic character and solution properties comparable to those of classic cationic surfactants, resulting in an effective extractant capability of polyanions from aqueous solutions. Their solution diffusion properties, as investigated by room-temperature dynamic light scattering, solution conductivity, density, and osmometric measurements, do not provide evidence for the occurr…