Vacuum Interfacial Structure and X-ray Reflectivity of Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids with Perfluorinated Anions from a Theory and Simulations Perspective.

ABSTRACT: We report studies of the vacuum interfacial structure of a series of 1-methyl-3-alkylimidazolium bis(perfluoroalkanesulfonyl)imide ionic liquids (ILs) and predict and explain their Fresnel-normalized X-ray reflectivity. To better interpret the results, we use a theory we recently developed dubbed "the peaks and antipeaks analysis of reflectivity" which splits the overall signal into that of different pair subcomponents. Whereas the overall reflectivity signal is not very informative, the peak and trough intensities for the pair subcomponents provide rich information for analysis. When species containing cationic alkyl or anionic fluoroalkyl tails are present at the interface, a tail layer is found next to a vacuum, and this tail layer can be composed of both alkyl and fluoroalkyl moieties.

SUBMITTER: Karunaratne WV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9394757 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature