Protic
ionic liquids (PIL) are promising anhydrous proton conductors
for fuel cell applications especially at higher temperature. In this
study, quantum chemistry calculations using density functional theory
(DFT) were performed to investigate proton conduction in imidazolium
methanesulfonate (IMMSA) PIL on interaction with varying imidazole
(IM) concentration. These investigations include the extent of proton
transfer (PT) from methanesulfonic acid to the imidazole base and
calculation of various energy barriers of PT. The results show that
the difference in gas phase proton affinity (ΔPA) of the anion
and base is a reliable predictor of the extent of proton transfer
from acid to base, and ΔPA values <90 kcal/mol indicates
facile PT. These gas phase DFT calculations show that, on addition
of at least one IM to IMMSA, proton dissociates from MSA to IM leading
to the generation of charged species, cations and anions, essential
for proton conduction. The PT barrier from IMH+ to IM reduces
with IM molecules added to IMMSA. The calculated rotational barrier
associated with the molecular reorganization increases with number
of IM molecules added to IMMSA, and this can be attributed to the
more number of hydrogen bonds broken during this process. In the case
of IMMSA with two IM molecules, a different pathway was also explored
where a barrierless rotation of IM molecules was observed. The results
from this study can assist in understanding the proton transport mechanism
in the IM based ILs under base rich conditions.