A new binuclear Cd(II)-containing ionic liquid: Preparation and electrocatalytic activities

The present work reports on the synthesis, characterization and performance of a new metal-containing ionic liquid [(C10H21)2-bim]2[Cd2Cl6] (bim = benzimidazole) as an electrocatalyst of hydrogen peroxide and bromate. The structure of the Cd(II)-containing ionic liquid (Cd-IL) was characterized by X-ray crystallography, IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The molecular structure contained two independent cations of benzimidazolium and one binuclear anion of View the MathML sourceCd2Cl62-. The cadmium atom had a tetrahedral geometry by coordinating to four chlorine atoms. The melting point of Cd-IL was 80 °C. Electrochemical properties of the Cd-IL had been investigated by preparing bulk-modified carbon paste electrode (Cd-IL/CPE), and Cd-IL was used as a binder and an electrocatalyst. This modified electrode showed good electrocatalytic activities toward the reduction of the hydrogen peroxide and bromate, and the results were reproducible with a lower detection limit than that mentioned in an earlier report. This work demonstrated that the Cd-IL may become a new kind of functional material in constructing chemicals and biosensors.