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Updated: May 17, 2026

From Molecules to Materials: Engineering New Ionic Liquid Crystals Through Halogen Bonding
Published on: March 24, 2018
Crystal structure of the ionic liquid EtNH3NO3-insights into the thermal phase behavior of protic ionic liquids
Wesley A Henderson1, Paul Fylstra, Hugh C De Long
1Department of Chemistry, U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD 21402, USA. whender@ncsu.edu
Abstract:
The crystal structure of the salt ethylammonium nitrate (EtNH(3)NO(3)) has been determined. EtNH(3)NO(3) is one of the most widely studied protic ionic liquids (PILs)-ILs formed by proton transfer from a Brønsted acid to a Brønsted base. The structural features from the crystal structure, in concert with a Raman spectroscopic analysis of the ions, provide direct insight as to why EtNH(3)NO(3) melts below ambient temperature, while other related salts (such as EtNH(3)Cl) do not.
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