Self-Stabilized Giant Aggregates in Water from Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids with an Asymmetric Polar-Apolar-Polar...

We report the assembly of four imidazolium bromides, each of which bears a naphthyl on one side of the imidazolium cation and a branched alkyl chain on the other. This design creates a new type of amphiphilic ionic liquid with an apolar-polar-apolar structure and a low melting point (m_p, <-20 °C), which has not been achieved by reported counterparts bearing linear alkyl chains. In solvent-free states, microphase segregation occurs where polar and apolar domains arrange bicontinuously as proved by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. When dispersed in water, self-stabilized giant aggregates formed with ultrahigh colloidal stability (up to years). MD simulations provide clues of discrete bicontinuous phases within the giant aggregates. These newly discovered self-assemblies provide a heterogeneous reservoir that can accommodate guest molecules including the highly apolar fullerene C₆₀, paving the way for a wide range of potential applications.