title: Comparison of interionic/intermolecular vibrational dynamics between ionic liquids and concentrated electrolyte solutions.
abstract: In this study, we have compared the interionic/intermolecular vibrational dynamics of ionic liquids (ILs) and concentrated electrolyte solutions measured by femtosecond optically heterodyne-detected Raman-induced Kerr effect spectroscopy. A typical anion in ILs, bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide ([NTf(2)](-)), has been chosen as the anion for the sample ILs and concentrated electrolyte solutions. ILs used in this study are 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium, 1-butylpyridinium, N-butyl-N,N,N-triethylammonium, and 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium with [NTf(2)](-). Li[NTf(2)] solutions (approximately 3.3 M) of water, methanol, propylene carbonate, and poly(ethylene glycol) have been selected as control samples. Kerr transients of the ILs and electrolyte solutions show intra- and interionic/intermolecular vibrational dynamics followed by slow picosecond overdamped relaxation. Fourier transform Kerr spectra have shown a difference in the relative intensities of intraionic vibrational bands of [NTf(2)](-) (280-350 cm(-1)) between the ILs and electrolyte solutions. The origin of the difference is attributed to the change in the conformational equilibrium between cisoid and transoid forms of [NTf(2)](-), which is caused by a favorable stabilization of dipolar cisoid form due to Li(+) and dipolar solvent molecules in the electrolyte solutions. Low-frequency Kerr spectra (0-200 cm(-1)) exhibit unique features with the variation of cation and solvent species. The aromatic ILs have a prominent high-frequency librational motion at about 100 cm(-1) in contrast to the case for the nonaromatic ones. The common structure of the spectra observed at about 20 cm(-1) likely comes from an interionic motion of [NTf(2)](-). The nonaromatic ILs allow a fair comparison with the electrolyte solutions of propylene carbonate and poly(ethylene glycol) because of the structural similarities. The comparison based on the first moment of the interionic/intermolecular vibrational spectrum suggests the stronger interionic/intermolecular interaction in the concentrated electrolyte solutions than the ILs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nanomaterial Science, Graduate School of Advanced Integration Science, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomotsumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujisawa
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shirota