New family of highly conductive and low viscous ionic liquids with asymmetric 2,2,2-trifluoromethylsulfonyl-N-cyanoamide anion

The synthetic pathway for the preparation of potassium salt with novel asymmetric 2,2,2-trifluoromethylsulfonyl-N-cyanoamide (TFSAM, CF3SO2-N-CN) anion in high yield and purity is reported. New family of ionic liquids, based on “classical” 1-methyl-3-alkylimidazolium, N-methyl-N-propylpyrrolidinium, quaternary ammonium or phosphonium non-cyclic cations with TFSAM as counter-anion, were synthesized and their physical properties were studied. All salts were found to be low melting compounds, most being liquid at r.t., with low (for ionic liquids) viscosities and high ionic conductivities at 25 °C (for example, η = 23 cP and σ = 1.1 × 10−2 S/cm for 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium 2,2,2-trifluoromethylsulfonyl-N-cyanoamide). The electrochemical stability of TFSAM ILs was found to be in the range of 4.1–4.6 V.

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