This
work represents the first systematic study comparing a homologous
series of alkali-based ionic liquids (ILs)potassium 1-alkyl-3-methylcyclopentadienyl, K[C
n
C1Cp]with
their charge-inverted counterparts of the 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium
chloride series, [C
n
C1Im]Cl.
Three new compounds of the K[C
n
C1Cp] (n = 2, 8, or 10) were synthesized, purified,
and analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance, completing the series
of previously reported derivatives (n = 4, 6). Further
characterization involved differential scanning calorimetry and powder
X-ray diffraction determinations. The results show that most of the
alkali-based salts exhibit melting temperature values in the range
commonly observed for halide-based ILs. However, striking structural
differences were revealed by both X-ray diffraction and molecular
dynamics results. These findings are consistent with the fact that
alkali metal cations are efficient electron acceptors that can participate
in interactions with a significant covalent character, namely, with
aromatic moieties present in the cyclopentadienyl anions. This new
concept extends the boundaries of ILs from the realm of noncovalent
electrostatic systems to that of coordination chemistry.