SO(2) saturation of the room temperature ionic liquid [C(2)mim][NTf(2)] much reduces the activation energy for diffusion.

The physical effect of high concentrations of reversibly dissolved SO(2) on [C(2)mim][NTf(2)] was examined using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and ESR spectroscopy. Cyclic voltammetry of the oxidation of solutions of ferrocene, N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD), and chloride in the room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesufonyl)imide ([C(2)mim][NTf(2)]) reveals an increase in limiting current of each species corresponding to the addition of increasing concentrations of sulfur dioxide. Quantitative chronoamperometry reveals an increase in each species' diffusion coefficient with SO(2) concentration. When chronoamperometric data were obtained for ferrocene in [C(2)mim][NTf(2)] at a range of temperatures, the translational diffusion activation energy (29.0 +/- 0.5 kJ mol(- 1)) was found to be in good agreement with previous studies. Adding SO(2) results in apparent near-activationless translational diffusion. A significant decrease in the activation energy of rotational diffusion with the SO(2) saturation of a 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxyl (TEMPO) solution in [C(2)mim][NTf(2)] (29.9 +/- 2.0 to 7.7 +/- 5.3 kJ mol(- 1)) was observed using electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. The reversible physical absorption of SO(2) by [C(2)mim][NTf(2)] should have no adverse effect on the ability of that ionic liquid to be employed as a solvent in an electrochemical gas sensor, and it is possible that the SO(2)-mediated reduction of RTIL viscosity could have intrinsic utility.