High viscosity of imidazolium ionic liquids with the hydrogen sulfate anion: a Raman spectroscopy study.
Ionic liquids based on 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cations and the hydrogen sulfate (or bisulfate) anion, HSO(4)(-), are much more viscous than ionic liquids with alkyl sulfates, RSO(4)(-). The structural origin of the high viscosity of HSO(4)(-) ionic liquids is unraveled from detailed comparison of the anion Raman bands in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate with available data for simple HSO(4)(-) salts in crystalline phase, molten phase, and aqueous solution. Two Raman bands at 1046 and 1010 cm(-1) have been assigned as symmetric stretching modes ν(s)(S═O) of HSO(4)(-), the latter being characteristic of chains of hydrogen-bonded anions. The intensity of this component increases in the supercooled liquid phase. For comparison purposes, Raman spectra of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ethyl sulfate and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium methyl sulfate have been also obtained. There is no indication of difference in the strength of hydrogen bond interactions of imidazolium cations with HSO(4)(-) or RSO(4)(-) anions. Raman spectra at high pressures, up to 2.6 GPa, are also discussed. Raman spectroscopy provides evidence that hydrogen-bonded anions resulting in anion-anion interaction is the reason for the high viscosity of imidazolium ionic liquids with HSO(4)(-). If the ionic liquid is exposed to moisture, these structures are disrupted upon absorption of water from the atmosphere.
Laboratório de Espectroscopia Molecular, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo CP 26077, CEP 05513-970, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. mccribei@iq.usp.br
Mauro C C
MC
Ribeiro