Twenty-one R 2 R 0 2 N + X À -type (R ¼ methyl or ethyl, R 0 ¼ alkyl, X ¼ Br or I) quaternary ammonium (QA) halides have been prepared by using a novel one-pot synthetic route in which a formamide (dimethyl-, diethylformamide, etc.) is treated with alkyl halide in the presence of sodium or potassium carbonate. The formation of QA halides was verified with 1 H-NMR, 13 C-NMR, MS and elemental analysis. The crystal structures of four QA halides (two bromide and two iodide) were determined using X-ray single crystal diffraction, and the powder diffraction method was used to study the structural similarities between the single crystal and microcrystalline bulk material. The thermal properties of all compounds were studied using TG/DTA and DSC methods. The smallest compounds decomposed during or before melting. The decreasing trend of melting points was observed when the alkyl chain length was increased. The liquid ranges of 120-180 1C were observed for compounds with 5-6 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain. The low melting points and wide liquid ranges suggest potential applicability of these compounds for example as ionic liquids precursors.