It is proven in this work that it is possible to significantly increase the carbon dioxide uptake by an ionic liquid relying on physical interactions only. The solubility and thermodynamics of solvation of carbon dioxide in the ionic liquids 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[trifluoromethylsulfonyl]amide [C(8)mim][Ntf(2)], 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium bis[trifluoromethylsulfonyl]amide [C(10)mim][Ntf(2)], and 1-(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,8-tridecafluorooctyl)-3-methylimidazolium bis[trifluoromethylsulfonyl]amide [C(8)H(4)F(13)mim][Ntf(2)] were determined experimentally between 298 and 343 K at pressures close to atmospheric. The solubility of carbon dioxide is significantly higher in the fluorine-substituted ionic liquid with Henry's law constants at 303 K of 33.3 and 30.7 bar for [C(8)mim][Ntf(2)] and [C(10)mim][Ntf(2)], respectively, and of 28.0 bar for [C(8)H(4)F(13)mim][Ntf(2)]. Molecular simulation was used for interpreting the molecular mechanisms of solvation of carbon dioxide in the studied ionic liquids and coherent molecular mechanisms of solvation are proposed in light of the solute-solvent radial distribution functions. It is shown that the increase of the size of the hydrogenated or fluorinated alkyl chain in the imidazolium cation does not lead to a steady augmentation of the gaseous uptake by the liquid probably due to an increase of the nonpolar domains of the ionic liquid, carbon dioxide being solvated preferentially in the charged regions of the solvent.

A mutant of d-fructose-6-phosphate aldolase (FSA) of Escherichia coli, FSA A129S, with improved catalytic efficiency towards dihydroxyacetone (DHA), the donor substrate in aldol addition reactions, was explored for synthetic applications. The k cat /K M value for DHA was 17-fold higher with FSA A129S than that with FSA wild type (FSA wt). On the other hand, for hydroxyacetone as donor substrate FSA A129S was found to be 3.5-fold less efficient than FSA wt. Furthermore, FSA A129S also accepted glycolaldehyde (GA) as donor substrate with 3.3-fold lower affinity than FSA wt. This differential selectivity of both FSA wt and FSA A129S for GA makes them complementary biocatalysts allowing a control over donor and acceptor roles, which is particularly useful in carboligation multi-step cascade synthesis of polyhydroxylated complex compounds. Production of the mutant protein was also improved for its convenient use in synthesis. Several carbohydrates and nitrocyclitols were efficiently prepared, demonstrating the versatile potential of FSA A129S as biocatalyst in organic synthesis.