Hydrogen gas yields in irradiated room-temperature ionic liquids

Yields of H2 produced by electron beam irradiation were investigated in a series of room-temperature ionic liquids comprising 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium, 1-hexyl-4-(dimethylamino)pyridinium, 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium, triethylammonium or trioctyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium cations associated with bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide anion. The G(H2) values ranged from 2.6×10−8 mol/J for the imidazolium and pyridinium-based ionic liquids to 2.5×10−7 mol/J for the phosphonium liquid. These results correlate well with yields of gaseous hydrogen in studies of nonionic aliphatic and aromatic organic compounds.