Nanostructure in Protic Ionic Liquids
Event details
| Date | 19.04.2013 |
| Hour | 14:00 |
| Speaker | Dr. Robert Hayes, University of Newcastle, Australia |
| Location |
CM012
|
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
Protic ionic liquids (ILs) are a new, important class of solvents often referred to as ‘designer solvents’ because liquid properties can be tuned by variations in chemical structure. ILs are unusual among solvents in that they consist entirely of ions, with no neutral species present. In the last decade or so, IL research has flourished, mainly because these solvents display performance advantages over conventional solvents a variety of settings. However, current use of ILs is hindered by poor understanding of liquid (nano-)structure, and how this affects solvent performance.
In this talk, model fits to neutron diffraction data show that ILs form bicontinuous nanostructures in the bulk, with segregation of charged and uncharged groups. This structure is reminiscent of self-assembly in bicontinuous microemulsions or disordered L3-sponge phases but on length scales an order of magnitude smaller. The nature of IL nanostructure can be controlled by systematic variation in ion-ion interactions, eg. tuning the electrostatic, H-bonding or solvophobic forces. This can be achieved in a number of ways such as changing ion type, inclusion of functional groups, or via the addition of (molecular or ionic) solutes. The relationship between bulk and interfacial IL nanostructure will also be briefly discussed.
In this talk, model fits to neutron diffraction data show that ILs form bicontinuous nanostructures in the bulk, with segregation of charged and uncharged groups. This structure is reminiscent of self-assembly in bicontinuous microemulsions or disordered L3-sponge phases but on length scales an order of magnitude smaller. The nature of IL nanostructure can be controlled by systematic variation in ion-ion interactions, eg. tuning the electrostatic, H-bonding or solvophobic forces. This can be achieved in a number of ways such as changing ion type, inclusion of functional groups, or via the addition of (molecular or ionic) solutes. The relationship between bulk and interfacial IL nanostructure will also be briefly discussed.
Practical information
- General public
- Free
Organizer
- Voitchovsky Kislon <[email protected]>
Contact
- Voitchovsky Kislon <[email protected]>