Electrical conductivity study on micelle formation of long-chain imidazolium ionic liquids in aqueous solution

Electrical conductivity was measured for aqueous solutions of long-chain imidazolium ionic liquids (IL), 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bromides with C(12)-C(16) alkyl chains. The break points appeared in specific conductivity (kappa) vs concentration (c) plot indicates that the molecular aggregates, i.e., micelles, are formed in aqueous solutions of these IL species. The critical micelle concentration (cmc) determined from the kappa vs c plot is somewhat lower than those for typical cationic surfactants, alkyltrimethylammonium bromides with the same hydrocarbon chain length. The electrical conductivity data were analyzed according to the mixed electrolyte model of micellar solution, and the aggregation number, n, and the degree of counter ion binding, beta, were estimated. The n values of the present ILs are somewhat smaller than those reported for alkyltrimethylammonium bromides, which may be attributed to bulkiness of the cationic head group of the IL species. The thermodynamic parameters for micelle formation of the present ILs were estimated using the values of cmc and beta as a function of temperature. The contribution of entropy term to the micelle formation is superior to that of enthalpy term below about 30 degrees C, and it becomes opposite at higher temperature. This coincides with the picture drawn for the micelle formation of conventional ionic surfactants.