Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026

From Molecules to Materials: Engineering New Ionic Liquid Crystals Through Halogen Bonding
Published on: March 24, 2018
Acetonitrile boosts conductivity of imidazolium ionic liquids
Vitaly V Chaban1, Iuliia V Voroshylova, Oleg N Kalugin
1Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627, USA. v.chaban@rochester.edu
Abstract:
We apply a new methodology in the force field generation (Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys.2011, 13, 7910) to study binary mixtures of five imidazolium-based room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) with acetonitrile (ACN). Each RTIL is composed of tetrafluoroborate (BF(4)) anion and dialkylimidazolium (MMIM) cations. The first alkyl group of MIM is methyl, and the other group is ethyl (EMIM), butyl (BMIM), hexyl (HMIM), octyl (OMIM), and decyl (DMIM). Upon addition of ACN, the ionic conductivity of RTILs increases by more than 50 times. It significantly exceeds an impact of most known solvents. Unexpectedly, long-tailed imidazolium cations demonstrate the sharpest conductivity boost. This finding motivates us to revisit an application of RTIL/ACN binary systems as advanced electrolyte solutions. The conductivity correlates with a composition of ion aggregates simplifying its predictability. Addition of ACN exponentially increases diffusion and decreases viscosity of the RTIL/ACN mixtures. Large amounts of ACN stabilize ion pairs, although they ruin greater ion aggregates.
More Related Videos
06:31Highly Stereoselective Synthesis of 1,6-Ketoesters Mediated by Ionic Liquids: A Three-component Reaction Enabling Rapid Access to a New Class of Low Molecular Weight Gelators
Published on: November 27, 2015
11:04Synthesis of Ionic Liquid Based Electrolytes, Assembly of Li-ion Batteries, and Measurements of Performance at High Temperature
Published on: December 20, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Basicity of Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines
Ionic Strength: Effects on Chemical Equilibria
In this solution, the primary cation—the calcium...
Theory of Strong Electrolytes
Aldehydes and Ketones with Amines: Imine Formation Mechanism
Imines are formed under mildly acidic conditions. A pH of 4.5 is ideal for the reaction.
If the pH is low or the solution is too acidic, the reaction slows down in the...
Ionic Association
1° Amines to Diazonium or Aryldiazonium Salts: Diazotization with NaNO2 Mechanism