Ferrocenium ionic liquids containing 3,4,5-tri(dodecyloxy)benzene sulfonate and bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT) anions

The salts of the dodecyloctamethylferrocenium cation (1) and decamethylferrocenium cation (2) with the mesogenic anions of 3,4,5-tri(dodecyloxy)benzene sulfonate [(C12H25O)3C6H2SO3] and bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT) were prepared. The resulting materials, [1][(C12H25O)3C6H2SO3], [2][(C12H25O)3C6H2SO3], and [1][AOT] were ionic liquids exhibiting glass transitions at −53, −41, and −51 °C, respectively, whereas [2][AOT] was a solid with a high melting point (Tm = 122 °C). The melting points and glass transition temperatures correlated with the flexibility of the substituents and the size of the constituent molecules. None of the salts exhibited liquid crystal phases.