title: Effects of water and methanol on the molecular organization of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate as functions of pressure and concentration.
abstract: The structural organization in mixtures of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([bmim][BF(4)])/water or methanol was studied by infrared spectroscopy. No drastic change in the concentration dependence of the alkyl C-H band frequency was observed at high concentration of the ionic liquid. This behavior indicates a clustering of the ionic liquid in alkyl regions. Nevertheless, the presence of methanol significantly perturbs the ionic liquid-ionic liquid associations in the imidazolium region. On the basis of the responses to change in pressure and concentration, two different types of O-H species, i.e., free O-H and bonded O-H, were observed in the O-H stretching region. For [bmim][BF(4)]/water mixtures, the compression leads to loss of the free O-H band intensity. It is likely that free O-H is switched to bonded O-H as high pressures are applied. For [bmim][BF(4)]/methanol mixtures, the free O-H is still stable under high pressures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, National Dong Hwa University, Shoufeng, Hualien 974, Taiwan. hcchang@mail.ndhu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Hai-Chou
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Jyh-Chiang
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: You-Chang
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Liou
authors.forename: Chao-Hsin
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Ting-Yun
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Sheng Hsien
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lin