Liquid structure of N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis-(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) amide ionic liquid studied by large angle X-ray scattering and molecular dynamics simulations

Large angle X-ray scattering of the N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis-(trifluoromethanesulfony) amide (P-14*TFSA(-)) ionic liquid was measured at 298 K. The total interference function i(LAXS)(s) and the total pair correlation function G(LAXS)(r) were successfully obtained. The i(LAXS)(s) was analyzed in terms of the intramolecular geometries of the conformational isomers of the P-14* and TFSA(-) ions based on the crystal structures, s the inter-molecular correlation function G(inter)(LAXS)(r) and the inter-molecular radial distribution function as the form D-inter(LAXS)(r)-4 pi r(2)rho(0) were evaluated. With G(inter)(LAXS)(r)-4 pi r(2)rho(0). the inter-molecular correlation peaks at 3.5. 4.5 and 5-6 angstrom evidently appeared as the short range interaction, while considerable long range interactions were found as the broad peaks at 10 and 15 angstrom. Molecular dynamics simulations of the ionic liquid based on the effective pairwise potentials were carried out. The X-ray total interference function derived from the MD simulations i(MD)(S) was in agreement with the experimental one. According to the inter-molecular partial atom-atom correlation functions from MD simulations, the observed peaks at 3.5, 4.5 and 5-6 angstrom can be predominantly ascribed to the closest atom-atom correlations between the P-14* and TFSA(-) ions such as C...O and C...F In the inter-molecular partial atom-atom correlation function between terminal methyl carbons of the butyl chain in the P-14* ion. a peak at 4.0 angstrom was found as the inter-molecular correlation, suggesting that the ionic liquid shows an alkyl chain aggregation, which is similar to that observed for 1-alkyl-3-methylmidazolium ionic liquids. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.