Bmim tf2n

BMIM PF₆ (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate) and BMIM Tf₂N (1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide) were purchased from IoLiTec and stirred under vacuum at 60 °C overnight prior to use to decrease the water content below the limit detectable by spectroscopic techniques [28 (link),38 (link)]. 4-CH₃O-azobenzene (MeO-AB) was synthetised as previously described [8 (link)]; ethanol (99% spectroscopy grade) was purchased from Fluka and used without further purification. The irradiation to induce the trans-cis isomerization was performed by means of a Hg−Xe arc lamp (150 W) equipped with a band-pass interference filter centered at 365.0 +2/−0 nm wavelength and 10.0 +2/−2 nm bandwidth. The UV-vis spectra for the thermal cis-trans isomerization were recorded by using a Cary 1-E spectrophotometer.

For the synthesis of NPs by sputtering into IL, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (purity > 99%, [Bmim][(Tf)₂N]) was purchased from IoLiTec-Ionic Liquids Technologies GmbH (Heilbronn, Germany) (specified impurities were halides (IC) < 100 ppm, and water (KF) < 71 ppm). The IL was stored under an Ar atmosphere and was used with no further purification.
The custom made alloy sputter target Cr-Mn-Fe-Co-Ni had a purity of 99.95% and a composition of Cr₁₈Mn₂₀Fe₂₀Co₂₁Ni₂₁ as analyzed by X-ray fluorescence.