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Pontoni D, DiMichiel M, Murphy BM, Honkimäki V, Deutsch M. Ordering of ionic liquids at a charged sapphire interface: Evolution with cationic chain length. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 661:33-45. [PMID: 38295701 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.01.126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS Room Temperature Ionic Liquids (RTILs) bulk's molecular layering dominates their structure also at the RTIL/sapphire interface, increasing the layer spacing with the cationic alkyl chain length n. However, the negatively-charged sapphire surface compresses the layers, increases the layering range, and affects the intra-layer structure in yet unknown ways. EXPERIMENTS X-ray reflectivity (XR) off the RTIL/sapphire interface, for a broad homologous RTIL series 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethansulfonyl)imide, hitherto unavailable for any RTIL. FINDINGS RTIL layers against the sapphire, exhibit two spacings: da and db. da is n-varying, follows the behavior of the bulk spacing but exhibits a downshift, thus showing significant layer compression, and over twofold polar slab thinning. The latter suggests exclusion of anions from the interfacial region due to the negative sapphire charging by x-ray-released electrons. The layering range is larger than the bulk's. db is short and near n-independent, suggesting polar moieties' layering, the coexistence mode of which with the da-spaced layering is unclear. Comparing the present layering with the bulk's and the RTIL/air interface's provides insight into the Coulomb and dispersion interaction balance dominating the RTIL's structure and the impact thereon of the presence of a charged solid interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Pontoni
- ESRF - The European Synchrotron, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38043 Grenoble, France
| | - Marco DiMichiel
- ESRF - The European Synchrotron, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38043 Grenoble, France
| | - Bridget M Murphy
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Kiel University, Kiel D-24098, Germany; Ruprecht-Haensel Laboratory, Kiel University, Kiel D-24118, Germany
| | - Veijo Honkimäki
- ESRF - The European Synchrotron, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38043 Grenoble, France
| | - Moshe Deutsch
- Physics Dept. & Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
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An R, Wu N, Gao Q, Dong Y, Laaksonen A, Shah FU, Ji X, Fuchs H. Integrative studies of ionic liquid interface layers: bridging experiments, theoretical models and simulations. NANOSCALE HORIZONS 2024; 9:506-535. [PMID: 38356335 DOI: 10.1039/d4nh00007b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Ionic liquids (ILs) are a class of salts existing in the liquid state below 100 °C, possessing low volatility, high thermal stability as well as many highly attractive solvent and electrochemical capabilities, etc., making them highly tunable for a great variety of applications, such as lubricants, electrolytes, and soft functional materials. In many applications, ILs are first either physi- or chemisorbed on a solid surface to successively create more functional materials. The functions of ILs at solid surfaces can differ considerably from those of bulk ILs, mainly due to distinct interfacial layers with tunable structures resulting in new ionic liquid interface layer properties and enhanced performance. Due to an almost infinite number of possible combinations among the cations and anions to form ILs, the diversity of various solid surfaces, as well as different external conditions and stimuli, a detailed molecular-level understanding of their structure-property relationship is of utmost significance for a judicious design of IL-solid interfaces with appropriate properties for task-specific applications. Many experimental techniques, such as atomic force microscopy, surface force apparatus, and so on, have been used for studying the ion structuring of the IL interface layer. Molecular Dynamics simulations have been widely used to investigate the microscopic behavior of the IL interface layer. To interpret and clarify the IL structure and dynamics as well as to predict their properties, it is always beneficial to combine both experiments and simulations as close as possible. In another theoretical model development to bridge the structure and properties of the IL interface layer with performance, thermodynamic prediction & property modeling has been demonstrated as an effective tool to add the properties and function of the studied nanomaterials. Herein, we present recent findings from applying the multiscale triangle "experiment-simulation-thermodynamic modeling" in the studies of ion structuring of ILs in the vicinity of solid surfaces, as well as how it qualitatively and quantitatively correlates to the overall ILs properties, performance, and function. We introduce the most common techniques behind "experiment-simulation-thermodynamic modeling" and how they are applied for studying the IL interface layer structuring, and we highlight the possibilities of the IL interface layer structuring in applications such as lubrication and energy storage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong An
- Herbert Gleiter Institute of Nanoscience, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China.
| | - Nanhua Wu
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Catalytic Materials and Technology, School of Petrochemical Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Qingwei Gao
- College of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Materials Protection and Advanced Materials in Electric Power, Shanghai University of Electric Power, Shanghai 200090, China
| | - Yihui Dong
- Department of Molecular Chemistry and Materials Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Aatto Laaksonen
- Energy Engineering, Division of Energy Science, Luleå University of Technology, 97187 Luleå, Sweden.
- Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
- Center of Advanced Research in Bionanoconjugates and Biopolymers, ''Petru Poni" Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Iasi 700469, Romania
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
| | - Faiz Ullah Shah
- Chemistry of Interfaces, Luleå University of Technology, 97187 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Xiaoyan Ji
- Energy Engineering, Division of Energy Science, Luleå University of Technology, 97187 Luleå, Sweden.
| | - Harald Fuchs
- Herbert Gleiter Institute of Nanoscience, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China.
- Center for Nanotechnology (CeNTech), Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.
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Su Y, Wang T, Zhang F, Huang J, Zhu Z, Shah FU, Xu F, An R. Effect of Electrode Surface Chemistry on Ion Structuring of Imidazolium Ionic Liquids. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023. [PMID: 37289976 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c00710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Surface chemistry plays a critical role in the ion structuring of ionic liquids (ILs) at the interfaces of electrodes and controls the overall energy storage performance of the system. Herein, we functionalized the gold (Au) colloid probe of an atomic force microscope with -COOH and -NH2 groups to explore the effect of different surface chemical properties on the ion structuring of an IL. Aided by colloid-probe atomic force microscopy (AFM), the ion structuring of an imidazolium IL, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIM][PF6], abbreviated as BP hereafter), on the Au electrode surface and the ion response to the change in the surface chemistry are investigated. AFM morphologies, contact angles, and approaching force-distance curves of the BP IL on the functionalized Au surfaces exhibited that the IL forms a more obvious layering structure on the -COOH-terminated Au surface (Au-COOH), while it forms heterogeneous and aggregating droplets on the -NH2 surface (Au-NH2). The formed uniform and aggregation-free ion layers in the vicinity of the Au-COOH surface are due to the π-π+ stacking interaction between the delocalized π+ electrons from the imidazolium ring in the IL [BMIM]+ cation and the localized π electrons from the sp2 carbon on the -COOH group. The in situ observation of nano-friction and torsional resonance frequency at the IL-electrode interfaces further demonstrated the ion structuring of the IL at Au-COOH, which results in a more sensitive electrochemical response associated with a faster capacitive process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqun Su
- School of Materials Science and Engineering/Herbert Gleiter Institute of Nanoscience, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Tiantian Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering/Herbert Gleiter Institute of Nanoscience, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Fan Zhang
- Department of Engineering and Design, School of Engineering and Information, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RH, U.K
| | - Junsen Huang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering/Herbert Gleiter Institute of Nanoscience, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Zhehang Zhu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering/Herbert Gleiter Institute of Nanoscience, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Faiz Ullah Shah
- Chemistry of Interfaces, Luleå University of Technology, 97187 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Feng Xu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering/Herbert Gleiter Institute of Nanoscience, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Rong An
- School of Materials Science and Engineering/Herbert Gleiter Institute of Nanoscience, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
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Dai D, Cao B, Hao XL, Li ZH, Yu ZW. Free-Standing Two-Dimensional Crystals Formed from Self-Assembled Ionic Liquids. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:2744-2749. [PMID: 36897097 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c00006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The fabrication of two-dimensional crystals (2DCs) has attracted very large interest because it creates materials with various surface structural features and special surface properties. Normally, this is limited to sheets networked together with strong covalent or coordination bonds. Against this understanding, we discovered macroscopic scale free-standing 2DCs in the aqueous dispersions of [Cnmim]X (X = Br, NO3; n = 14, 16, 18) using simultaneous synchrotron small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering techniques. On the other hand, the 2DCs are also a kind of novel hydrogel holding water content up to 98 wt %. This unusual phenomenon is attributed to the weak interactions between imidazole headgroups and counterions. The observation reported in this work is expected to contribute to theorists in their pursuit of the general principles governing the stability of 2D materials. It may also enlighten experimentalists in designing new free-standing 2DCs for various applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Dai
- MOE Key Laboratory on Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Bobo Cao
- MOE Key Laboratory on Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xiao-Lei Hao
- MOE Key Laboratory on Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Zhi-Hong Li
- Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility (BSRF), Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhi-Wu Yu
- MOE Key Laboratory on Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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