Chiral ionic liquids (ILs) are ionic liquids that have a chiral cation and/or anion. Chiral ILs have been utilized in numerous asymmetric applications, including asymmetric catalysis and enantiomeric separations. This presentation will describe our group of undergraduate student’s efforts to measure and characterize the chiral discrimination by amino acid based chiral ILs using circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) spectroscopy. Luminescent lanthanide (Eu<sup>3+</sup> and Tb<sup>3+</sup>) complexes are ideally suited for the task, because of their luminescence and CPL properties. Results will be described from chiral discrimination studies of europium complexes with amino acid methyl ester ILs (e.g. L-leucine methyl ester bistrifluoromethanesufonimide), and tetrabutylammonium amino acid ILs (e.g. tetrabutylammonium L-prolinate). The rewards and challenges working with undergraduates on this research will be discussed.

Lanthanides, chirality, and ionic liquids: Finding a niche with undergraduates

249th National Meeting (2015)

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