Ionic Liquids

The unique physical properties exhibited by ionic liquids (IL) — liquid ranges below 100ºC, negligible vapor pressures, complex solvation properties towards different organic and inorganic compounds — are a consequence of their underlying nature at a molecular level, namely an intricate balance between electrostatic, dispersion and specific H-bond-like interactions, and the ensuing formation of structural heterogeneities at a nanoscopic level (polar networks and non-polar domains) [1-3]. Furthermore, when these substances are mixed with other solvents (e.g. water and alcohols), the way these molecules interact with the IL have a strong impact in the physical properties of the mixtures, like their miscibility window [4-6]. Thus, I'm currently interested in the study of the evolution of IL structures when one shifts from pure ionic liquids to their mixtures with neutral molecular species and other salts.