title: The nature of ionic liquids in the gas phase.
abstract: Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) experiments showed that when aprotic ionic liquids vaporize under pressure and temperature conditions similar to those of a reduced-pressure distillation, the gas phase is composed of discrete anion-cation pairs. The evolution of the mass spectrometric signals recorded during fractional distillations of binary ionic liquid mixtures allowed us to monitor the changes of the gas-phase composition and the relative volatility of the components. In addition, we have studied a protic ionic liquid, and demonstrated that it exists as separated neutral molecules in the gas phase.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química, Instituto Tecnológico e Nuclear, 2686-953 Sacavém, Portugal.
authors.forename: João P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Leal
authors.forename: José M S S
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Esperança
authors.forename: Manuel E Minas
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: da Piedade
authors.forename: José N Canongia
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.forename: Luís P N
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Rebelo
authors.forename: Kenneth R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Seddon