Study of the Viability of Separating Mixtures of Water–Bioethanol Using a Neoteric Solvent: 1-Decyl-3-methylimidazolium Bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide

Following the successful utilization of various 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ionic liquids (ILs) as effective solvents in the extraction of ethanol, 1-propanol, and 2-propanol from water, we conducted experiments to determine the liquid–liquid equilibria data for the ternary mixture comprising water, ethanol, and 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([dmim][Tf2N]) at temperatures of 283.2 K, 303.2 K, and 323.2 K under atmospheric pressure. The thermodynamic parameters for both ternary mixtures were calculated using the non-random two-liquid (NRTL) and universal quasichemical (UNIQUAC) models, yielding favorable results across all investigated conditions (rmsd < 0.65%). Subsequently, we explored the efficiency of [dmim][Tf2N] in separating azeotropic mixtures by analyzing the distribution coefficient and selectivity (K2 and S greater than 1 in all cases, with maximum values of 3.551 and 10.878, respectively). Comparative assessments were made against the performance of various 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ILs and alcohols. The findings underscore the promising capabilities of [dmim][Tf2N] in achieving effective separation, providing valuable insights for potential applications in liquid–liquid extraction processes.