Aggregation models of potential cyclical trimethylsulfonium dicyanamide ionic liquid clusters.

Raman and infrared spectra of trimethylsulfonium dicyanamide [(CH(3))(3)SN(CN)(2)] are reported and accurately reproduced by DFT methods (B3LYP and B3PW91), MP2, and MP3, and to a lesser extent by the RHF method. The (CH(3))(3)SN(CN)(2) ionic liquid forms two isomeric dimers that are of cyclic structure, one of which is 13 kcal/mol lower in energy than the other. Both isomeric cyclic pairs (versions 1 and 2), [(CH(3))(3)SN(CN)(2)](2), have the potential to further combine and form a common structure containing four pairs of (CH(3))(3)SN(CN)(2).