Gamma radiolysis of ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate

The applications of room-temperature ionic liquids in the nuclear fuel cycle and radiation chemistry depend on a comprehensive knowledge of their stability and chemical properties under radiation conditions. In this work, the effect of gamma radiation on pure ionic liquid [bmim][PF6] was investigated in detail. The radiolysis of [bmim][PF6] leads to an increase of UV-vis absorbance and a decrease of fluorescence intensity with increasing radiation dose. Raman spectra proved that gamma radiation induced significant chemical scission of the n-butyl group (e.g. C-H and C-C scission) and damage to the [PF6]- anion. When the irradiated [bmim][PF6] samples were cooled, two crystal structures were found to coexist, and they suffered a continuous destruction under irradiation; their dose dependence, however, was different.