Measurements of activity coefficients at infinite dilution for organic solutes and water in the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium methanesulfonate

The activity coefficients at infinite dilution, γ13∞, for 43 solutes, including alkanes, cycloalkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, water, thiophene, ethers, ketones, acetonitrile, pyridine, and 1-nitropropane in the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium methanesulfonate [EMIM][MeSO3] were determined by gas–liquid chromatography at six temperatures within the range (308.15 to 358.15) K. The interaction of these 42 organic compounds and water with the ionic liquid were described with the partial molar excess Gibbs free energy, ΔG1E,∞, enthalpy ΔH1E,∞, and entropy TrefΔS1E,∞ at infinite dilution, calculated from the experimental γ13∞ values obtained over the temperature range. The gas–liquid partition coefficients, KL were calculated for all solutes. The values of the selectivity for few separation problems as heptane/toluene, cyclohexane/benzene, heptane/xylenes and heptane/thiophene were calculated from γ13∞ and compared to literature values for N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP), sulfolane, and other ionic liquids based on [EMIM]+ cation. Comparison with the results published earlier for [EMIM][MeSO3] show much lower selectivities in the discussed separation problems. By contrast with the former measured ILs [EMIM][MeSO3] reveals the average selectivity for the separation of aromatics/aliphatics and low capacity for benzene. An interesting high value of selectivity was observed in the separation of thiophene/aliphatics. Very high values of selectivity may be expected in the separation of the azeotropic systems including water. The density of [EMIM][MeSO3] within temperature range from (298.15 to 358.15) K was measured and compared to the literature values.

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► Measurements of activity coefficients at infinite dilution using GLC.
► Forty-two organic solvents and water in the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium methanesulfonate.
► High selectivity for heptane/thiophene.
► Possible entrainer for different separation processes with water.
► The excess thermodynamic functions and the gas–liquid partition coefficients were calculated.