Functionalized ionic liquid for solvating heavy aromatic compounds

A process for removing a contaminant comprising

• at least one polynuclear aromatic compound from a hydrocarbon stream, the process comprising
• (a) contacting the hydrocarbon stream comprising the contaminant with a hydrocarbon-immiscible quinolinium ionic liquid under contacting conditions to produce a mixture comprising the hydrocarbon and the hydrocarbon-immiscible quinolinium ionic liquid, wherein the hydrocarbon-immiscible quinolinium ionic liquid comprises at least a portion of the removed contaminant;
• and
• (b) separating the mixture to produce a hydrocarbon effluent having a reduced level of the contaminant and a hydrocarbon-immiscible quinolinium ionic liquid effluent comprising the hydrocarbon-immiscible quinolinium ionic liquid and at least the portion of the removed contaminant;
• wherein the hydrocarbon-immiscible quinolinium ionic liquid is of formula:
• where R is selected from hydrogen, an alkyl group having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an amine, an ether, or a silyl group;
• and anion A−is selected from chloride, bromide, iodide, nitrate, sulfate, tetrafluoroborate, hexafluorophosphate, acetates, haloacetates, alkanesulfonates, perfluoroalkanesulfonates, bis(perfluoroalkanesulfonyl)imides, and arene sulfonates.