Measurement of activity coefficients at infinite dilution for hydrocarbons in imidazolium-based ionic liquids and QSPR model

The separations of olefin/paraffin,aromatic/aliphatic hydrocarbons or olefin isomers using ionic liquids instead of volatile solvents have interested many researchers.Activity coefficientsγ∞at infinite dilution of a solute in ionic liquid are generally used in the selection of solvents for extraction or extractive distillation.In fact,the measurement ofγ∞by gas-liquid chromatography is a speedy and cost-saving method.Activity coefficients at infinite dilution of hydrocarbon solutes,such as alkanes,hexenes,alkylben-zenes,styrene,in 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluorobo-rate([AMIM][BF4])and 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium hexafluorophosphate([BMIM][PF6]),1-isobutenyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate([MPMIM][BF4])and[MPMIM][BF4]-AgBF4 have been determined by gas-liquid chromatography using ionic liquids as stationary phase.The measurements were carried out at different temperatures from 298 to 318 K.The separating effects of these ionic liquids for alkanes/hexane,aliphatic hydrocarbons/benzene and hexene isomers have been discussed.The hydrophobic parameter,dipole element,frontier molecular orbital energy gap and hydration energy of these hydrocarbons were calculated with the PM3 semi-empirical quantum chemistry method.The quantitative relations among the computed structure para-meters and activity coefficients at infinite dilution were also developed.The experimental activity coefficient data are consistent with the correlated and predicted results using QSPR models.