We
measured the deuteron quadrupole coupling constants (DQCCs)
for hydroxy-functionalized ionic liquids (ILs) with varying alkyl
chain length over the temperature range between 60 and 200 K by means
of solid-state NMR spectroscopy. For all temperatures, the 2H spectra show two DQCCs representing different types of hydrogen
bonds. Higher values, ranging from 220 to 250 kHz, indicate weaker
hydrogen bonds between cation and anion (c-a), and lower values varying
from 165 to 210 kHz result from stronger hydrogen bonds between the
OD groups of cations (c-c), in agreement with recent observations
in infrared, neutron diffraction, and NMR studies. We observed different
temperature dependencies for (c-a) and (c-c) hydrogen bonding. From
the static pattern of the 2H spectra at the lowest temperatures,
we derived the true DQCCs being up to 20 kHz larger than recently
reported values measured at the glass transition temperature. We were
able to freeze the librational motions of the hydrogen bonds in the
ILs. The temperature dependence of the (c-a) and (c-c) cluster populations
in the glassy state is opposite to that observed in the liquid state,
partly anticipating the behavior of ILs tending to crystallize.