Issue 8, 2011

Amphiphilicity determines nanostructure in protic ionic liquids

Abstract

The bulk structure of the two oldest ionic liquids (ILs), ethylammonium nitrate (EAN) and ethanolammonium nitrate (EtAN), is elucidated using neutron diffraction. The spectra were modelled using empirical potential structure refinement (EPSR). The results demonstrate that EAN exhibits a long-range structure of solvophobic origin, similar to a bicontinuous microemulsion or disordered L3-sponge phase, but with a domain size of only 1 nm. The alcohol (–OH) moiety in EtAN interferes with solvophobic association between cation alkyl chains resulting in small clusters of ions, rather than an extended network.

Graphical abstract: Amphiphilicity determines nanostructure in protic ionic liquids

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
09 Jul 2010
Accepted
04 Nov 2010
First published
06 Dec 2010

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2011,13, 3237-3247

Amphiphilicity determines nanostructure in protic ionic liquids

R. Hayes, S. Imberti, G. G. Warr and R. Atkin, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2011, 13, 3237 DOI: 10.1039/C0CP01137A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements