Surface structure of a “non-amphiphilic” protic ionic liquid

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Differences in the surface structure of protic ionic liquids (ILs) with three different cations and a common anion; ethyl-, propyl- and 2-hydroxyethyl- (or ethanol-) ammonium nitrate (EAN, PAN and EtAN, respectively) have been observed by neutral impact collision ion scattering spectroscopy (NICISS) and metastable induced electron spectroscopy/ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (MIES/UPS). NICISS is used to determine the concentration depth profiles of the elements in each IL and it reveals an enrichment of cation alkyl chains of PAN and EtAN in the outermost layer compared to EAN, and a corresponding depletion of nitrate from the outermost layer of the EtAN surface. MIES probes the molecular orbitals of only the species in the outermost layer of a sample and confirms that, while both the anion and the cation are present to some degree at the surface of all three ILs, the cation is enriched to a greater extent at the surface of PAN and EtAN compared to EAN.

Section: B Concentration Depth Profilescontrasting

confidence: 57%

Section: B Concentration Depth Profilesmentioning

confidence: 71%

Composition of the outermost layer and concentration depth profiles of ammonium nitrate ionic liquid surfaces

Ridings

Warr

Andersson

2012

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“…This model was developed using data obtained from atomic force microscopy (AFM), 6,16 X-ray reflectivity, 18 and vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy (VSFS), 19,20 amongst others. 21,22 Aside from VSFS, which probes the orientation of non-centrosymmetric ions in the interfacial layer, these techniques probe the composition of the liquid normal to the interface, and the details of the model reflect this; no information about the organisation of the ions in the plane of the interface is provided, aside from the inference that ion layers become less well-defined with distance from the interface.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adsorbed and near surface structure of ionic liquids at a solid interface

Segura

Elbourne

Wanless

et al. 2013

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120

172

The structure of solid-ionic liquid (IL) interfaces has been characterised with unprecedented clarity by employing a range of atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging techniques and tip pressures appropriate for the system under study. Soft contact and amplitude-modulation (AM) AFM imaging have been used to elucidate the lateral structure of ILs adsorbed onto mica, and in the near surface ion layers. Data is presented for ethylammonium nitrate (EAN) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoro-methylsulfonyl)imide (EMIm TFSI). Whereas EAN is a protic IL that forms a nanostructured sponge phase in the bulk, EMIm TFSI is aprotic and has weak (or absent) bulk association structure. Comparison of results obtained for the two liquids elucidates how the strength of bulk liquid morphology effects lateral organisation at the surface, and any effect of IL class, i.e. protic versus aprotic. Imaging reveals EAN self assembles at the solid surface in a worm-like morphology, whereas EMIm cations adsorb in a more isolated fashion, but still in rows templated by the mica surface. To the authors' knowledge, the wormlike structures present at the EAN-mica interface are the smallest self-assembled aggregates ever imaged on a solid surface.

“…Thus, a lubricating film will remain in place under higher pressures than a comparable molecular liquid. 19 Additionally, IL interfaces are inherently more structured both normally [20][21][22][23] and laterally 24 than molecular liquids at a solid surface.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ionic liquid lubrication: influence of ion structure, surface potential and sliding velocity

Rutland

Atkin

2013

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150

164

Colloid probe atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been employed to investigate the nanotribology of the ionic liquid (IL)-Au(111) interface. Data is presented for four ILs, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate ([EMIM] FAP), 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate ([BMIM] FAP), 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate ([HMIM] FAP) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium iodide ([BMIM] I), at different Au(111) surface potentials. Lateral forces vary as a function of applied surface potential and ion structure because the composition of the confined ion layer changes from cation-enriched (at negative potentials) to mixed (at 0 V), and to anion-enriched (at positive potentials). ILs with FAP(-) anions all exhibit similar nanotribology: low friction at negative potentials and higher friction at positive potentials. [BMIM] I displays the opposite behaviour, as an I(-) anion-enriched layer is more lubricating than either the [BMIM](+) or FAP(-) layers. The effect of cation charged group (charge-delocalised versus charged-localised) was investigated by comparing [BMIM] FAP with 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium tris(pentafluoroethyl)trifluorophosphate ([Py(1,4)] FAP). [BMIM] FAP is less lubricating at negative potentials, but more lubricating at positive potentials. This indicated that even at positive potentials the cation concentration in the boundary layer is sufficiently high to influence lubricity. The influence of sliding velocity on lateral force was investigated for the [EMIM] FAP-Au(111) system. At neutral potentials the behaviour is consistent with a discontinuous sliding process. When a positive or negative potential bias is applied, this effect is less pronounced as the colloid probe slides along a better defined ion plane.