title: Dissolution of metal salts in bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide-based ionic liquids: studying the affinity of metal cations toward a "weakly coordinating" anion.
abstract: Despite the weakly coordinating ability of the bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide anion ([Tf2N](-)) the corresponding ionic liquids (ILs) are able to dissolve relevant amounts of metal salts having the same anion, M[Tf2N]x. To better understand the metal dissolution process we evaluated the interaction ability of a set of metal cations (Y(III), Al(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Ag(I), Li(I), and Na(I)) toward the [Tf2N](-) anion measuring the relative aptitude to give the corresponding anionic monocharged complex, [M(Tf2N)x+1](-) using the ESI-MS technique. UV-vis and NMR measurements were carried out to verify the consistence between the liquid and the gas phase. Density functional theory calculations have been used to identify the metal-containing species and determine their relative stability. An interesting correlation between interaction ability and chemical properties (Lewis acidity) was found.
authors.affiliation: †Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bortolini
authors.affiliation: ‡Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università di Pisa, Via Bonanno 33, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chiappe
authors.affiliation: ‡Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università di Pisa, Via Bonanno 33, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ghilardi
authors.affiliation: †Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Università di Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 17-19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Massi
authors.affiliation: ‡Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università di Pisa, Via Bonanno 33, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Christian Silvio
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Pomelli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000838:Anions / Q000737:chemistry*; D002412:Cations / Q000737:chemistry*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005740:Gases / Q000737:chemistry; D007094:Imides / Q000737:chemistry*; D052578:Ionic Liquids / Q000737:chemistry*; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D012492:Salts / Q000737:chemistry*; D013057:Spectrum Analysis
chemical_list: D000838:Anions; D002412:Cations; D005740:Gases; D007094:Imides; D052578:Ionic Liquids; D008670:Metals; D012492:Salts