Influence of Nanosegregation on the Surface Tension of Fluorinated Ionic Liquids.

ABSTRACT: We have investigated, both theoretically and experimentally, the balance between the presence of alkyl and perfluoroalkyl side chains on the surface organization and surface tension of fluorinated ionic liquids (FILs). A series of ionic liquids (ILs) composed of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cations ([CnC1im] with n = 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12) combined with the perfluorobutanesulfonate anion was used. The surface tensions of the investigated liquid salts are considerably lower than those reported for non-fluorinated ionic liquids. The most surprising and striking feature is the identification, for the first time, of a minimum at n = 8 in the surface tension versus the length of the IL cation alkyl side chain. Supported by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, it was found that this trend is a result of the competition between the two nonpolar domains (perfluorinated and aliphatic) pointing toward the gas-liquid interface, a phenomenon which occurs in ILs with perfluorinated anions. Furthermore, these ILs present the lowest surface entropy reported to date.

SUBMITTER: Luis A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5325320 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature