Interionic interactions of binary gels consisting of pyrrolidinium-based zwitterionic compounds and lithium salts

We demonstrated thermal transitions and physical gelation of binary ionic salts through interionic interactions, which consist of pyrrolidinium-N-propanesulfonate zwitterionic compound (PyrZIC) and lithium bis(trifluorosulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI). The transition behaviors of binary ionic gels were attributed to conformational changes in the cations and anions of PyrZIC and LiTFSI as analyzed by density functional theory (DFT), principal component analysis (PCA), and two-dimensional infrared correlation spectroscopy (2D IR COS). Furthermore, the geometries of binary PyrZIC-LiTFSI systems were strongly influenced by the electrostatic interactions between two ionic salts. The different dynamic processes in the PyrZIC- and LiTFSI-rich phases, which are classified by the transition point of PCA plots, were induced by the conformational changes in the respective interaction fields, as shown by 2D correlation spectra. In particular, LiTFSI-rich binary gels revealed characteristic four-leaf-clover and butterfly patterns under their unique chemical circumstances, which were different from those of PyrZIC-rich gels. Consequently, these computational and experimental investigations provide an analytical tool to understand the physical phenomenon and interactions occurring in the unveiled and complicated systems.