Glycine Betaine-Functionalized Ionic Liquids: Design of Versatile Bioplatform for Incorporating Biologically Active Moieties into Cations

We report a novel series of ILs formed by coupling glycine betaine with the biologically active herbicide MCPA via an ester bond. ILs were synthesized through a 2-step <i>O</i>-alkylation process, followed by product isolation using flash chromatography. The alkyl chain length between the carboxylic groups determines solubility and octanol-water partition coefficient, whereas the rate of their hydrolysis is highly influenced by the pH of aqueous solution. All compounds retained the biological activity of the incorporated herbicide.