Structures of ionic liquid-water mixtures investigated by IR and NMR spectroscopy.

Imidazolium-based ionic liquids having different anions 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium ([BMIM]X: X = Cl(-), Br(-), I(-), and BF4(-)) and their aqueous mixtures were investigated by IR absorption and proton NMR spectroscopy. The IR spectra of these ionic liquids in the CHx stretching region differed substantially, especially for C-H bonds in the imidazolium ring, and the NMR chemical shifts of protons in the imidazolium ring also varied markedly for ILs having different anions. Upon the introduction of water to screen the electrostatic forces and separate the ions, both IR and NMR spectra of [BMIM]X (X = Cl(-), Br(-), I(-)) showed significant changes, while those of [BMIM]BF4 did not change appreciably. H-D isotopic exchange rates of C(2)-H in [BMIM]X-D2O mixtures exhibited an order: C(2)-HCl > C(2)-HBr > C(2)-HI, while the C(2)-H of [BMIM]BF4 was not deuterated at all. These experimental findings, supported by DFT calculations, lead to the microscopic bulk configurations in which the anions and the protons of the cations in the halide ionic liquids have specific, hydrogen-bond type of interaction, while the BF4(-) anion does not participate in the specific interaction, but interacts less specifically by positioning itself more above the ring plane of the imidazolium cation. This structural change dictated by the anion type will work as a key element to build the structure-property relationship of ionic liquids.

Halide ions effects on surface excess of long chain ionic liquids water solutions.

The interfacial structure and composition of water solutions with alkylimidazolium ionic liquids varying in their halide anions ([C12mim][X], X = Cl and I) were investigated by X-ray near-total-reflection fluorescence spectroscopy and X-ray reflectivity measurements. We demonstrate that X-ray fluorescence and reflectivity techniques provide a more direct measurement of surface adsorption. Furthermore, we show that for [C12mim][Cl] and [C12mim][I] solutions with mixed inorganic salts (NaI, NaCl), I(-) ions replace Cl(-) above the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of [C12mim][Cl] at much lower concentrations of NaI, whereas NaCl concentrations a hundred times higher than the CMC of [C12mim][I] only partially replace the I(-) at the interface. Our surface-sensitive X-ray diffraction and spectroscopy provide two independent tools to directly determine the surface adsorption of ionic surfactants and the interfacial composition of the surface films.

Interactions of bovine serum albumin with cationic imidazolium and quaternary ammonium gemini surfactants: effects of surfactant architecture.

The interactions of BSA with a series of cationic imidazolium gemini surfactants ([C(n)-s-C(n)im]Br(2), n=10, 12, 14, s=2, 4, 6), quaternary ammonium surfactants (C(12)C(2)C(12)), and their corresponding monomers ([C(12)mim]Br and DTAB) are investigated by fluorescence using pyrene as a molecular probe, synchronous fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD), and UV-visible absorption spectra. These surfactants are used to elucidate the effects of surfactant hydrophilic head group, spacer length, and hydrophobic chain length on the conformation of BSA. The results of fluorescence spectra and CD show that the imidazolium gemini surfactants with shorter spacers or with longer hydrophobic chains have a larger effect on BSA unfolding, and the imidazolium gemini surfactant interacts with BSA more strongly than its corresponding monomer and the quaternary ammonium gemini surfactant. These conclusions have been confirmed by the binding constants (K(a)) and binding sites (n) for the BSA/surfactant system. Stern-Volmer quenching constants K(SV) of cationic surfactants binding to BSA are obtained, indicating that the probable quenching mechanism is initiated by ground-state complex formation rather than by dynamic collision. Moreover, the synchronous fluorescence spectra show that the surfactants mainly interact with tryptophan residues of BSA.

Effect of amino acids on aggregation behaviors of sodium deoxycholate at air/water surface: surface tension and oscillating bubble studies.

The aggregation behaviors of sodium deoxycholate (NaDC) at the air/water surface were investigated via surface tension and oscillating bubble measurements in the absence and presence of three alkaline amino acids, namely, L-Lysine (L-Lys), L-Arginine (L-Arg), and L-Histidine (L-His). The results of surface tension measurements show that NaDC has a lower ability to reduce the surface tension of water, because NaDC molecules orient at the surface in an oblique direction and tend to aggregate together, which is approved by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. L-Lys is the most efficient of the three amino acids in reducing the critical aggregation concentration (cac) of NaDC in aqueous solution. The influence of amino acids on the dilational rheological properties of NaDC was studied using the drop shape analysis method in the frequency range from 0.02 to 0.5 Hz. The results reveal that the absolute modulus passes through a maximum value with increasing NaDC concentration. The addition of amino acids increases the absolute modulus of NaDC, and the maximum value is observed at much lower concentration. From the perspective of structures of amino acids, the performance of L-Arg is similar to that of L-His, and both of them bring out a smaller effect on the absolute modulus than that of L-Lys. From the above results, it may be presumed that electrostatic and hydrophobic effects are important impetus during the interaction between amino acids and NaDC at the air/water surface. Hydrogen bonding is so ubiquitous in the system that the difference of hydrogen bonding between NaDC and amino acid is ignored.

Comparison of aggregation behaviors between ionic liquid-type imidazolium gemini surfactant [C12-4-C12im]Br2 and its monomer [C12mim]Br on silicon wafer.

The aggregation of ionic liquid-type imidazolium gemini surfactant [C(12)-4-C(12)im]Br(2) on silicon wafer, which is compared with its monomer [C(12)mim]Br, have been studied. AFM morphology images and contact angle measurements suggest that the aggregations of [C(12)-4-C(12)im]Br(2) and [C(12)mim]Br on silicon wafer follow different mechanisms. Below the critical surface aggregation concentrations (CSAC), both surfactant molecules are adsorbed with their hydrophobic tails facing the air. But above the CSAC, [C(12)-4-C(12)im]Br(2) molecules finally form a bilayer structure with hydrophilic head groups facing the air, whereas [C(12)mim]Br molecules form a multilayer structure, and with increasing its concentration, the layer numbers increase with the hydrophobic chains and hydrophilic head groups facing the air by turns. Besides, the watery wettability of [C(12)-4-C(12)im]Br(2)-treated silica surface is lower than that of [C(12)mim]Br at the concentration of 5.0 cmc, and the infrared spectroscopy suggests that the poorer watery wettability of [C(12)-4-C(12)im]Br(2) may be relative to the less-ordered packing of methylene chains inside the aggregate. These different aggregation behaviors for the two surfactants ascribe to the different molecular structures and electrostatic interactions. This work would have certain theoretical guidance meaning on the modification of solid surface.

Synthesis and properties of ionic liquid-type Gemini imidazolium surfactants.

A series of ionic liquid-type Gemini imidazolium surfactants with four-methylene spacer groups were synthesized ([C(n)-4-C(n)im]Br(2), n=10, 12, 14). The surface activity and thermodynamic properties of micellization between the Gemini imidazolium surfactants and their corresponding monomers ([C(n)mim]Br, n=10, 12, 14) were compared by means of surface tension and electrical conductivity measurements. The values of cmc, gamma(cmc), pc(20), Gamma(max), and A(min) derived from surface tension measurement at 25 degrees C suggest that the surface activity of [C(n)-4-C(n)im]Br(2) is higher than that of [C(n)mim]Br. While the thermodynamic parameters of micellization (DeltaG(m)(o), DeltaH(m)(o), DeltaS(m)(o)) derived from electrical conductivity indicate that the micellization of [C(n)-4-C(n)im]Br(2) is entropy-driven, aggregation of [C(n)mim]Br is entropy-driven at low temperature but enthalpy-driven at high temperature. Finally, the activation energy of conductance (E(a)) that is associated with the effective charge is also obtained for [C(n)-4-C(n)im]Br(2) and it is constant below the cmc, but it increases above the cmc.