Pseudo Halide Chemistry in Ionic Liquids with Decomposable Anions

Several pseudohalide containing ionic liquids with quarternary ammonium counter cations of the general formula [R3MeN]X [R = ethyl (1X), n-butyl (2X) with X- = CN-, N-3(-), OCN-, and SCN-] were synthesized by decomposition of the corresponding trialkylammonium methylcarbonate in the reaction with Me3Si-X. We also treated 2CN with OP(OMe)(3), yielding [nBu(3)MeN][O2P(OMe)(2)] and acetonitrile (Me-CN). The double salt [nBu(3)MeN](2){[B(OMe)(3)(CN)](CN)} was obtained from the reaction of 2CN with B(OMe)(3), featuring the formation of the monocyano-trimethoxyborate anion, [B(OMe)(3)(CN)](-), co-crystallized with [nBu(3)MeN]CN. [nBu(3)MeN](2){[B(OMe)(3)(CN)](CN)} was fully characterized including structure elucidation.