Acidity Scale in a Choline Chloride- and Ethylene Glycol-Based Deep Eutectic Solvent and Its Implication on Carbon Dioxide Absorption
Man-Ni Nie, Zhen Wang, Qian-Hang Niu, Jia-Xing Dai, Qiqi Wang, Jinsong Peng, Pengju Ji
Abstract
An equilibrium acidity (p K a ) scale that comprises 16 Brönsted organic acids, including phenols, carboxylic acids, azoles, and phenylmalononitriles, was established in a choline chloride/EG-based deep eutectic solvent (DES) ([Ch][Cl]:2EG) by ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopic methods. The established acidity scale spans about 6 p K units in the DES, which is similar to that for these acids in water. The acidity comparisons and linear correlations between the DES and other solvents show that the solvent property of [Ch][Cl]:2EG is quite different from those of amphiphilic protic and dipolar aprotic molecular solvents. The carbon dioxide absorption capabilities as well as apparent absorption kinetics for a series of anion-functionalized DESs ([Ch][X]:2EG) were measured, and the results show that the basicity of comprising anion [X] of choline salt is essential for the maximum carbon dioxide absorption capacity, i.e., a stronger basicity leads to a greater absorption capacity. The possible absorption mechanisms for carbon dioxide absorption in these DESs were also discussed based on the spectroscopic evidence.