Room temperature ionic liquids, considered as “designers’ solvents” attract a great deal of attention as they can be tailored for property requirements. The ionic liquids designed and synthesized based on the substituted Nimidazolium, benzimidazolium and pyridinium cations are reported. Their suitability as solvents for the preparation of various N-alkylated products has been demonstrated. The effectiveness of the microwave technique in comparison to conventional method has been established. Characterization of the ILs on the basis of 1H/13C NMR spectra, UV, and IR spectral analyses to establish their structures and thermal stability by TGA/DTA analysis is presented. A series of four ionic liquids incorporating different alkyl functionalities were synthesized and characterized. In particular, benzimidazolium cation with various functionalities were suitably combined with the halide functionalized anions to generate a highly solvating, yet noncoordinating medium in which a number of organic, inorganic and polymeric materials may be dissolved. The physical properties and potential antimicrobial activities are also discussed.
