X-Ray absorption spectroscopy investigation of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide salts

Paola d'Angelo (1) , Andrea Zitolo (1) , Valentina Migliorati (1) , Enrico Bodo (2) , Giuliana Aquilanti (3) , Jean-Louis Hazemann (4) , Denis Testemale (4) , Giordano Mancini (5) , Ruggero Caminiti (2)

1 Dipartimento di Chimica
2 UNIROMA - Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza" = Sapienza University [Rome]
3 sincrotrone Trieste
4 NEEL - MRS - Matériaux, Rayonnements, Structure
5 CASPUR

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) has been used to unveil the bromide ion local coordination structure in 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide [Cn mim]Br ionic liquids (ILs) with different alkyl chains. The XAS spectrum of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide has been found to be different from those of the other members of the series, from the butyl to the decyl derivatives, that have all identical XAS spectra. This result indicates that starting from 1-buthyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide the local molecular arrangement around the bromide anion is the same independently from the length of the alkyl chain, and that the imidazolium head groups in the liquid ILs with long alkyl chains assume locally the same orientation as in the [C4 mim]Br crystal. With this study we show that the XAS technique is an effective direct tool for unveiling the local structural arrangements around selected atoms in ILs.

Domaines: Géochimie; Milieux et Changements globaux

Paola d'Angelo, Andrea Zitolo, Valentina Migliorati, Enrico Bodo, Giuliana Aquilanti, et al.. X-Ray absorption spectroscopy investigation of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide salts. Journal of Chemical Physics, 2011, 135 (7), pp.074505. ⟨10.1063/1.3625920⟩. ⟨hal-00714088⟩