Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
ILs of interesting properties. For the overall environmental
impact and economics, they were employed as solvents
for electrochemistry [2-8], analytical chemistry [9],
chemical synthesis [10-14], liquid/liquid separations and
extractions [15-17], dissolution [18-20], catalysis [21-25], and
polymerization [26]. In electrochemistry, they show relatively
wide potential window and high conductivity and allow studies
to be undertaken without additional supporting electrolyte
[27]. Thus various applications including in electrodeposition,
electropolymerization, capacitors, Li-ion batteries, and solar cell
have been intensive investigated [28]. ILs have also offered many
opportunities in electroanalytical chemistry [29]. Particularly,
some task-specific ILs have also been designed because the
structures and properties of ILs can be easily tuned by selecting
proper combination of organic cations and anions. Equally
importantly, these unique properties of ILs could be extended to
the concept of task-specific IL-materials. No longer as simple green
solvents, it would greatly expand the potential application of ILs.
As excellent reviews exist describing ILs for analytical chemistry,
electroanalytical chemistry or electrochemistry [9, 28-31], here
we will focus on the imidazolium-based IL-materials and their
applications in electroanalytical chemistry from our laboratory as
well as other groups.
4.2 ELECTROSYNTHESIS
ILs show a relatively wide potential window and high conductivity
and allow studies to be undertaken without additional
supporting electrolyte. Recently, Aida et al. have reported
sing-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) could be considerably
untangled into much finer bundles that are physically cross-
linked in ILs [32]. Thus, we were motivated to design a kind of
RTIL-supported three-dimensional network SWNT electrode
(as shown in Fig. 4.1a) [33]. The advantage of bucky gels of ionic
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