Effects of interionic interactions in 1,3-dialkylimidazolium ionic liquids on the electronic structure of metal sites in solid catalysts with ionic liquid layer (SCILL)

Well-defined gamma-Al2O3-supported Ir(CO)(2) complexes were coated with various 1,3-dialkylimidazolium ionic liquids (ILs) to elucidate the ligand effect of ILs. Variations in electron density of iridium sites when coated with ILs were probed by the infrared (IR) fingerprints of carbonyl ligands. Results presented here illustrate that IL layer strongly controls the electron density of metal sites; and there is a strong correlation between the interionic interactions in ILs and the degree of electron donation to the metal. These results create opportunities to tune the electronic structure of active metal sites by tailoring the structure of IL for optimum catalytic performance. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.