Glycerol as a source of designer solvents: physicochemical properties of low melting mixtures containing glycerol ethers and ammonium salts

In this work we report the preparation of mixtures of several alkyl glyceryl ethers, as hydrogen bond donor compounds, with two ammonium salts, choline chloride and N, N, N-triethyl-2,3-dihydroxypropan-1-aminium chloride. The stability of the mixtures at different molar ratios and temperatures has been evaluated in order to determine the formation of low melting mixtures. Liquid and stable mixtures have been characterized and their physico-chemical properties such as density, viscosity, refractive index, conductivity and surface tension have been measured in the temperature range of 293.15 K to 343.15 K. Comparison of the mixtures prepared herein with the ones containing glycerol and choline chloride evidences the possibility of tuning the physico-chemical properties by changing the substitution pattern in the hydrogen bond donor compound or in the ammonium salt, thus broadening the scope of application of these mixtures.