Custom ionic liquid electrolytes for electrolytic decarboxylation

1. An electrolytic cell, comprising:

an anode compartment comprising an ionic liquid;

a cathode compartment comprising aqueous sodium hydroxide;

an alkali ion selective membrane separating the anode compartment and the cathode compartment;

an anode in communication with the ionic liquid;

a cathode in communication with the aqueous sodium hydroxide;

a power supply;

wherein the ionic liquid comprises compounds having formulas R1COOM and R2COOM and wherein each of R1 and R2 is independently selected from unsubstituted and substituted alkyl, unsubstituted and substituted cycloalkyl, unsubstituted and substituted heterocyclyl, substituted and unsubstituted alkenyl, substituted and unsubstituted alkynyl, substituted and unsubstituted aryl, and substituted and unsubstituted heteroaryl;

wherein each M is independently an alkaline metal;

wherein the power supply provides an electric potential between the anode and the cathode; and

wherein the electric potential provided by the power supply oxidizes the anode and decarboxylates the compounds of formulas R1COOM and R2COOM to form a decarboxylated radical of R1 and R2.

2. The electrolytic cell of claim 1 , wherein substitutions on substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, and heteroaryl are selected from halogen, unsubstituted C 1-8 alkyl, —CN, —NO 2 , ═O, —C(O)R A , —CO 2 R A , —C(O)NR A R B , —OR A , —OC(O)R A , —OC(O)NR A R B , —NR C C(O)R A , —NR C C(O)NR A R B , —NR A R B , —NR C CO 2 R A , —NR C S(O) 2 R A , —SR A , —S(O)R A , —S(O) 2 R A , —S(O) 2 NR A R B ;

wherein each of RA, RB, and Re, when present, is independently selected from the group consisting of: —H, unsubstituted C1_8 alkyl, unsubstituted C2_8 alkenyl, or unsubstituted C2-s alkynyl.

3. The electrolytic cell of claim 1 , wherein substitutions on substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, and heteroaryl are located geminal to —COOM.

4. The electrolytic cell of claim 1 , wherein the ionic liquid has the formula [(R′)(R″)(R′″)(R″″)X];

wherein X is selected from substituted or unsubstituted pyridinium, substituted or unsubstituted pyridazinium, substituted or unsubstituted pyrimidinium, substituted or unsubstituted pyrazinium, substituted or unsubstituted pyrrolidinium, substituted or unsubstituted imidazolium, substituted or unsubstituted pyrazolium, substituted or unsubstituted thiazolium, substituted or unsubstituted oxazolium, substituted or unsubstituted triazolium, phosphonium, and ammonium; and

wherein each of R′, R″, R′″, and R″″ is independently selected from fluoro, phosphinates, alkylphosphinates, alkylthiophosphinates, sulfates, sulphonates, amides, tosylates, aluminates, borates, arenates, cuparates, nitrates, carboxylates, hydrogen, unsubstituted and substituted alkyl, unsubstituted and substituted cycloalkyl, unsubstituted and substituted heterocyclyl, substituted and unsubstituted alkenyl, substituted and unsubstituted alkynyl, substituted and unsubstituted aryl, and substituted and unsubstituted heteroaryl, provided that X is ammonium or phosphonium, then each of R′, R″, R′″, and R″″ may also independently be hydrogen.

5. The electrolytic cell of claim 4 , wherein substitutions on substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, and heteroaryl are selected from halogen, unsubstituted C 1-8 alkyl, —CN, —NO 2 , ═O, —C(O)R A , —CO 2 R A , —C(O)NR A R B , —OR A , —OC(O)R A , —OC(O)NR A R B , —NR C C(O)R A , —NR C C(O)NR A R B , —NR A R B , —NR C CO 2 R A , —NR C S(O) 2 R A , —SR A , —S(O)R A , —S(O) 2 R A , —S(O) 2 NR A R B ;

wherein each of RA, RB, and Re, when present, is independently selected from the group consisting of: —H, unsubstituted C 1-8 alkyl, unsubstituted C 2-8 alkenyl, or unsubstituted C 2-8 alkynyl.

6. The electrolytic cell of claim 4 , wherein each of R′, R″, R′″, and R″″ is the same.

7. The electrolytic cell of claim 4 , wherein at least one of R′, R″, R′″, and R″″ is different from the others.

8. The electrolytic cell of claim 1 , wherein each M is sodium.

9. The electrolytic cell of claim 1 , wherein R 1 and R 2 are the same.

10. The electrolytic cell of claim 1 , wherein R 1 and R 2 are different.

11. The electrolytic cell of claim 1 , wherein the alkali ion selective membrane comprises at least one of LISICON and NASICON.