Determination of the adsorption mechanism of imidazolium-type ionic liquids onto kaolinite: implications for their fate and transport in the soil environment

Abstract

Environmental context. The present paper looks at the possible spreading of a new class of chemicals, namely, ionic liquids in soils. These ionic liquids have gained increasing attention, and their environmental impact and fate needs to be determined before accidental release. The paper specifically focusses on the adhesion mechanisms of these chemicals onto a type of clay, kaolinite. It was found that a multilayer adhesion mechanism occurs. Sorption of ionic liquids on kaolinite indicates that these chemicals can modify the clay surfaces, which may lead to changes in its natural geochemical cycles. Abstract. In the present study, the mechanism of sorption of ionic liquids onto kaolinite clay mineral has been investigated in detail. Results obtained indicate a multilayer type of adsorption. At final saturations, the highest distribution coefficients were found for the long alkyl chain molecules. The mean free energy values obtained are below values of a typical ion-exchange process, which thus suggests that the adsorption mechanism is a combination of electrostatic interaction and physical sorption. At the beginning of the binding process (formation of a monolayer), ion-exchange and van der Waals interactions are predominantly responsible for the process, whereas at higher concentrations of ionic liquids, dispersive interactions become dominant. Thermodynamic parameters were also calculated from graphical interpretation of experimental data. Negative values of ΔG indicate a spontaneous sorption process for ionic liquids. Standard heats of adsorption were found to be exothermic and entropy contributions were negative in all cases studied.

The effect of chemical and organic amendments on sodium exchange equilibria in a calcareous sodic soil

“…Although the values of E found in the current study were within the energy range of physical adsorption, the following results indicated that the cation exchange was the main mechanism controlling adsorption and desorption of Na + in the control soil and amended soil. Mrozik et al (2008) and Caliskan et al (2011) indicated that adsorption energy values obtained were below values of a typical chemisorption process. However, based on the kinetic study, they concluded that the adsorption mechanism was a combination of electrostatic interaction and physical sorption.…”

Predicting mobility of alkylimidazolium ionic liquids in soils

“…The sorption isotherms and equilibrium sorption coefficients of selected imidazolium IL cations with different alkyl side-chain lengths have been determined and compared for several types of soils, kaolinite, and one sediment differing in their physicochemical properties (Mrozik et al 2008;Stepnowski 2005a;Stepnowski et al 2007). All the compounds were found to be strongly sorbed onto these substrates, and the longer the alkyl chain, the greater the sorption capacity.…”

Bioaccumulation of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ionic liquid in a simple marine trophic chain

“…values obtained in the experiments with different concentrations. Since physicochemical sorption is the most probable mechanism in this case, the results reflect the concentration-dependent mechanism of IL retention, typical of mineral surfaces (Mrozik et al 2008).…”