Synthesis and characterization of double –SO3H functionalized Brönsted acidic hydrogensulfate ionic liquid confined with silica through sol-gel method

Imidazolium-based metal and halogen-free Brönsted acidic ionic liquid (BAIL) (3,3′-(hexane-1,6-diyl)bis(2-methyl-1-(3-sulfopropyl)-1H-benzimidazolium) hydrogensulfate [HbMBIM-PS][HSO4] was synthesized. The physicochemical properties of this BAIL were investigated using a variety of different analytical and spectroscopic techniques such as 1H and13C-NMR, FT-IR, mass, UV–vis and TGA spectra. A porous silica matrix has been synthesized using BAIL and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) as silica source by nonhydrolytic sol–gel method. The properties of IL confined silica gel matrix have been studied using FTIR, TGA, SEM, N2-sorption measurement (BET characterization for determining pore parameters), and NH3-TPD techniques. From the N2-sorption measurement, it has been found that BET surface area decreased while pore volume, average pore size and porosity decreased. The thermal stability of the IL has been found to increase upon confinement in silica gel matrix. The results suggested that IL had been successfully confined on silica gel. This IL confined silica gel catalyst is environment friendly and useful for alkane isomerization and esterification reactions.