Copper(II) Chloro Complex Formation Thermodynamics and Structure in Ionic Liquid, 1‑Butyl-3-Methylimidazolium Trifluoromethanesulfonate

Metal ions in ionic liquids are laid under an unprecedented reaction field. In order to assess the reaction thermodynamics of metal ions in such a situation, Cu²⁺-chloro complex formation was examined with spectroscopic and calorimetric titrations in an ionic liquid, 1-buthyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate (C₄mimTfO). In addition, the effect of the structure of the solvated complexes on the complexation mechanism was investigated with the aid of DFT calculations. Chloro complexation successively proceeded and finally provided a [CuCl₄]^2– species, which is also the final product in conventional molecular solvents. Their stability constants were comparable to those in molecular solvents. Interestingly, in spite of the charged solvent in the ionic liquid, the entropy profile of the complexation resembled that in the conventional molecular liquids. This indicates that the entropy gain of the released solvent species from the complexes is the main driving force of the chloro complexation in the ionic liquid. In contrast, unlike the major molecular solvents, the total coordination number of Cu²⁺ is saturated to 4 in the ionic liquid, and the Cl^– complexation tends to be accompanied by a 1:1 exchange of the solvent TfO^– from the complex. In addition, this ligand exchange was almost athermal. This possibly indicates that the coordination number is dominated by the electrostatic hindrance among the ligands including the solvent ions in the primary coordination sphere