Synthesis of poly(ethylene glycol) functionalized star-shaped tricationic imidazolium based ionic liquid

We report on the preparation of a well-defined star-shaped tricationic ionic liquid possessing three arms of poly(ethylene glycol) functionalized imidazolium rings. Remarkable solubility was found in most of the organic solvents we used. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) exhibited excellent thermal stability and two distinct decomposition temperatures were attributed to two kinds of chemical degradation. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was further employed to investigate the thermal phase transitions, that three different signals ( T g , T c , and T m ) were shown upon the second heating process. Moreover, CH 2 Cl 2 solution of the ionic liquid expressed an excitation-wavelength dependent fluorescence response, leading to the facile modulation of photoluminescence behavior. This work represents an example of utilizing molecular design to construct novel ionic liquids and endow further potential to be used in the engineering materials.