Anomalous Conformational Change in 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium Tetrafluoroborate-D2O Mixtures
Naohiro Hatano1, Mayuko Watanabe1, Takahiro Takekiyo1, Hiroshi Abe2, and Yukihiro Yoshimura1
1Department of Applied Chemistry, National Defense Academy, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 239-8686, Japan
2Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Defense Academy,
Yokosuka, Kanagawa 239-8686, Japan
J. Phys. Chem. A 2012, 116, 1208-1212.
Abstract
We have investigated the effect of deuterated water on the conformational equilibrium between the gauche and trans conformers of the [bmim] cation in mixtures of water and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([bmim][BF4]), an ionic liquid, at room temperature. A comparison of the results obtained
from solutions made with H2O and with D2O highlights an anomalous conformational change in the D2O solution showing an extended N-shaped behavior. The gauche conformer
of the [bmim] cation in D2O increased up to x = 50 (D2O mol %); however, it decreased up to higher water concentrations of x = 85 before again increasing drastically toward x = 100. We provide spectroscopic evidence that the anomalous conformational
dynamics of the [bmim] cation in D2O is directly related to the H/D exchange reaction of the C-H group at
position 2 of the imidazolium ring.
![]() |
Fig. 1 |
|
Fig. 2 Schematic representation of the H/D exchange at the C2-H group of the [bmim] cation. |
![]() |
Fig. 3. Raman active bands for the gauche and trans conformers with (a) C2-D and (b) C2-H of [bmim] calculated with DFT, respectively. (c) Observed Raman spectral change with varying the D2O concentration x. The peaks at 600 and 620 cm-1 are due from gauche and trans forms of the C7-C8 bond in the butyl chain. The data after 42 days from the sample preparations are displayed. |
![]() |
Fig. 4. Time evolution of (a) the area ratio (Igauche/Itrans) between the gauche and trans forms and (b) the area ratio {IC2-D/(IC2-H + IC2-D)}[100 (%)] of two peaks for C2-H and C2-D in the combination band arising from the in-plane ring deformation and CH3(N) deformation (νring ip+CH3(N)) vibrations of the D2O mixed solution at x = 40, respectively. |
![]() |
Fig. 5. Variations in area ratios (Igauche/Itrans) between the gauche and trans forms of the butyl chain in [bmim][BF4].water mixed solutions as a function of water concentration x. The open circles show the results in the H2O.[bmim][BF4] solutions by Gaussian. Lorentzian fittings for the respective peaks of the gauche and trans forms. The filled circles correspond to the results in the D2O. [bmim][BF4] solutions. |
![]() |
Fig. 6. (a-d) Raman active bands for νring ip+CH3(N) vibrations calculated with DFT. (e) Observed Raman spectral change of νring ip+CH3(N) vibrations with varying D2O concentration x. |
![]() |
Fig. 7. Area ratio {IC2-D/(IC2-H + IC2-D)}[100 (%)] of two peaks for C2-H and C2-D in νring ip+CH3(N) vibrational band against D2O concentration x. The filled circles correspond to the results by Gaussian.Lorentzian fittings for the respective peaks. We show the data after 42 days from the sample preparations. |
Last Modified: Nov. 1, 2011