Solubilities of cinnamic acid esters in binary mixtures of ionic liquids and organic solvents

Abstract The solubilities of three cinnamic acid esters, namely, methyl ferulate, methyl p -coumarate, and methyl sinapate, have been measured in mixed solvent systems of tert-butanol with 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIM][PF 6 ]), 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([BMIM][BF 4 ]) and 1-methyl-3-octyl-imidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([OMIM][BF 4 ]) at 303.15 and 321.15 K, and in mixed solvent systems of ethyl acetate with [BMIM][BF 4 ] and [OMIM][BF 4 ] at 303.15 K. In eight cases, out of the 22 data sets, an additive behaviour of the solubility was observed, positive deviations from additivity were observed in six cases, a positive synergistic effect in five cases, and, finally, negative deviations from additivity in the remaining three cases. Prediction of the solubilities of the solutes in the various ternary systems was performed with the NRTL and UNIQUAC activity coefficient models. The binary interaction parameters of the models between solute and solvent molecules were taken from the literature. When the parameters between the solvent molecules are fitted to literature data, satisfactory predictions are not always obtained. On the other hand, very good predictions are obtained when only one of the two interaction parameters between the two solvent molecules is fitted to one single point of the solubility isotherm and the other interaction parameter is set equal to zero.