Ionic Liquids: Properties and Application Examples for Catalysis and Separation Processes

Abstract

Ionic liquids (ILs), either pure or supported on porous carriers and solid catalysts, have unique properties such as a mostly negligible vapour pressure, at least in some cases a high thermal stability, and a high variability of physical and chemical characteristics such as the solubility for gases and liquids. Therefore, ILs are interesting new materials both for chemists and chemical engineers with regard to their application for separation processes (extraction and ad/absorption) and for heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis.

First of all, important properties of pure and supported ILs and methods to determine them accurately are briefly outlined (thermal stability, vapour pressure, activity coefficient of water); new options to monitor the stability of supported ILs on porous carriers by electrical methods are also shortly presented.

Thereafter, three examples of the potential use of ILs will be discussed:

• Extraction with ILs (e.g. of organic sulfur compounds);
• Catalysis with ILs such as selective hydrogenation, alkylation, and olefin epoxidation;
• Gas drying with pure and supported ILs.

Bio

Academical Education and Professional Functions

1982–1987: Studies of chemical engineering/fuel-engineering, RWTH Aachen

1987-1996: Research Assistant at the Department for Chemistry and Technology of Gases, Crude Oil, and Coal, Engler-Bunte-Institute, University Karlsruhe

June 1991: PhD Thesis: Syngas by catalytic partial oxidation of methane with air

July 1996: Habilitation: Thermal and catalytic cracking of hydrocarbons in a hydrogen- or steam-rich atmosphere

1996-1998: Assistant Professor, Engler-Bunte-Institute, University Karlsruhe

1998 - 2001: Professor for Technical Chemistry, RWTH Aachen

since Oct. 2001: Head of Chair of Chemical Engineering, University Bayreuth

2012: Call for Professorship for Heterogeneous Catalysis at the Leibniz-Institute for Catalysis (LIKAT) at the University Rostock (declined)

Research areas

Ionic liquids, applied catalysis, reaction engineering, energy technology

Publications

1 textbook (Wiley, together with Peter Wasserscheid), 17 contributions to books, around 140 publications in peer reviewed journals