Evaluation of the impact of phosphate salts on the formation of ionic-liquid-based aqueous biphasic systems

The present study aims at evaluating the capability of phosphate-based salts, whose anions can coexist in water depending on the media pH, to promote aqueous biphasic systems (ABS) formation with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium-based ionic liquids, as well as to infer on the influence of the ionic liquid anion in the overall process of liquid-liquid demixing. In this context, novel phase diagrams of ABS composed of several imidazolium-based ionic liquids and three phosphate salts and a mixture of salts (K3PO4, K2HPO4, K2HPO4 + KH2PO4, and KH2PO4) were determined by the cloud point titration method at 298 K and atmospheric pressure. The corresponding tie-line compositions, tie-line lengths, and pH values of the coexisting phases were also determined. The ionic liquids ability to promote ABS is related with the hydrogen-bond basicity of the composing anion - the lower it is the higher the ability of the ionic fluid to undergo liquid-liquid demixing. Moreover, similar patterns on the ionic liquids sequence were observed with the different phosphate salts. The phosphate anion charge plays a determinant role in the formation of ABS. The two-phase formation aptitude (with a similar ionic liquid) decreases in the rank: K3PO4 > K2HPO4 > K2HPO4 + KH2PO4 > KH2PO4. Yet, besides the charge of the phosphate anion, the pH and ionic strength of the aqueous media also influence the phase separation ability. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.