Ionic liquids on oxide surfaces.

Ionic liquids (ILs) supported on oxide surfaces are being investigated for numerous applications including catalysis, batteries, capacitors, transistors, lubricants, solar cells, corrosion inhibitors, nanoparticle synthesis and biomedical applications. The study of ILs with oxide surfaces presents challenges both experimentally and computationally. The interaction between ILs and oxide surfaces can be rather complex, with defects in the oxide surface playing a key role in the adsorption behaviour and resulting electronic properties.

Water-induced reordering in ultrathin ionic liquid films.

Water-induced reordering in ultrathin ionic liquid films has been observed using in situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. An ultrathin layer of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([CCIm][BF]) was deposited on a rutile TiO (1 1 0) single crystal and exposed to water vapour at a relative humidity of ~70% in an in situ cell. Water was found to adsorb onto the ionic liquid surface, causing a reordering of the ions at the interface.

Interactions and stabilisation of acetone, sulfur dioxide and water with 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [OMIM][BF] at low temperatures.

The interactions between three small molecules, water (HO), sulfur dioxide (SO) and acetone ((CH)CO), with the ionic liquid (IL) 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [OMIM][BF], have been determined using line of sight temperature programmed desorption (LOSTPD) from a gold surface. Multilayers of the IL were deposited by physical vapour deposition with multilayers of the small molecular species (adsorbed from the gas phase) at 90 K. LOSTPD was then carried out with the small molecular species desorbing first from the mixed multilayer, followed at higher temperatures by desorption of the IL from the gold surface.

Ionic Liquid Ordering at an Oxide Surface.

The interaction of the ionic liquid [C C Im][BF ] with anatase TiO , a model photoanode material, has been studied using a combination of synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. The system is of interest as a model for fundamental electrolyte-electrode and dye-sensitized solar cells. The initial interaction involves degradation of the [BF ] anion, resulting in incorporation of F into O vacancies in the anatase surface.

Adsorption, Desorption, and Reaction of 1-Octyl-3-methylimidazolium Tetrafluoroborate, [C₈C₁Im][BF₄], Ionic Liquid Multilayers on Cu(111).

Multilayers of 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [C8C1Im][BF4] have been deposited on a Cu(111) surface by evaporation in UHV. XPS shows that [C8C1Im][BF4] adsorbs without decomposition for substrate temperatures < 300 K. XPS and UPS data indicate that ionic liquid (IL) deposition onto a 120 K Cu(111) surface results in the IL forming multilayers by a simultaneous-multilayer growth process.