A systematic study was carried out to explore the electrochemical behavior of Ce in room temperature ionic liquid (CnmimBr, where n=6,
8, 10) and mixture of C6mimBr and ethanol by cyclic voltammetry. With
increase in the number of carbon atoms on the alkyl substituent on
methyl imidazolium cation, the electrochemical window of the ionic
liquids was found to extend towards more negative potential value, as a
result there was a possibility of reduction of Ce to lower oxidation
states. The diffusion coefficient and activation energy for the
diffusion were calculated in all the ionic liquids and one of their
mixtures with ethanol. With increase in n value, the diffusion
coefficient of Ce decreased due to increase in viscosity of the medium
while the activation energy for the diffusion followed a reverse trend
for C6mimBr, C8mimBr and C10mimBr,
respectively. The observations indicated that the nature of species of
Ce might be different in room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) from
that present in their mixtures with ethanol.