Ionic liquids (ILs) comprise of cations and anions and possess some extraordinary properties such as low vapor pressure, liquidity over a wide range of temperature, high conductivity, high thermal stability, high electrochemical window, moderate to high polarity, which make them useful media for a large number of applications.1 These are liquid salts, known for their significant local heterogeneity of organisation at the molecular level. Understanding both physicochemical properties and molecular-level heterogeneity of neat ILs is essential for better utilization in specific applications.2 Early insights into this heterogeneity were obtained through some scattered experiments based on various techniques such as small wide-angle X-ray scattering (SWAXS) and neutron scattering experiments.3Additionally, a variety of fluorescent probes have been used to understand the microheterogeneity with regard to their local polarity and local viscosity.4,5 Despite these efforts, it appears that the structure of the neat ILs is yet to be fully understood, and it requires further experiments to unravel some of the details of the local structure. The primary objective of this seminar is to provide a comprehensive overview of physicochemical properties and in-depth understanding of the molecular-level heterogeneity identified within ILs. Furthermore, we will present our research hypotheses and initial findings, highlighting the progress occurring in this particular domain.
References:
(1) Dzida, M.; Zorebski, E.; Zorebski, M.; Zarska, M.; Geppert-Rybczynska, M.; Chorazewski, M.; Jacquemin, J.; Cibulka, I. Chem. Rev. 2017, 117, 3883–3929.
(2) Khan, A. S.; Nasrullah, A.; Ullah, Z.; Bhat, A. H.; Ghanem, O. Ben; Muhammad, N.; Rashid, M. U.; Man, Z. J. Mol. Liq. 2018, 249, 583–590.
(3) Russina, O.; Triolo, A.; Gontrani, L.; Caminiti, R. J. Phy. Chem. Lett. 2012, 3, 27–33.
(4) Gautam, R. K.; Bapli, A.; Jana, R.; Seth, D. J. Photochem. Photobiol. A. 2020, 399, 112550.
(5) Khara, D. C.; Kumar, J. P.; Mondal, N.; Samanta, A. J. Phy. Chem. B. 2013, 117, 5156–5164.