Microwave activation in ionic liquids induces high temperature-high speed electrochemical processes.

Self-focusing of intense microwave radiation at the tip of a 25 microm diameter platinum disk microelectrode immersed into the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BMIM(+)PF(6)(-)) containing 1 mM ferrocene causes dramatically (two orders of magnitude) enhanced voltammetric current signals and temperatures in excess of 600 K (at the electrode surface)--extreme conditions sufficient for condensed phase pyrolysis processes to occur.