Anticancer Agents as Design Archetypes: Insights into the Structure–Property Relationships of Ionic Liquids with a Triarylmethyl Moiety

A fundamental challenge underlying the design principles of ionic liquids (ILs) entails a lack of understanding into how tailored properties arise from the molecular framework of the constituent ions. Herein, we present detailed analyses of novel functional ILs containing a triarylmethyl (trityl) motif. Combining an empirically driven molecular design, thermophysical analysis, X-ray crystallography, and computational modeling, we achieved an in-depth understanding of structure–property relationships, establishing a coherent correlation with distinct trends between the thermophysical properties and functional diversity of the compound library. We observe a coherent relationship between melting (Tm) and glass transition (Tg) temperatures and the location and type of chemical modification of the cation. Furthermore, there is an inverse correlation between the simulated dipole moment and the Tm/Tg of the salts. Specifically, chlorination of the ILs both reduces and reorients the dipole moment, a key property controlling intermolecular interactions, thus allowing for control over Tm/Tg values. The observed trends are particularly apparent when comparing the phase transitions and dipole moments, allowing for the development of predictive models. Ultimately, trends in structural features and characterized properties align with established studies in physicochemical relationships for ILs, underpinning the formation and stability of these new lipophilic, low-melting salts.