Ionization dynamics in ionic liquids probed via self-diffusion coefficient measurements

Ionic liquids contain ions and ion pairs with fast exchange between them. We propose a novel process to deduce the fraction of ions present in an ionic liquid and the equilibrium constants of ionization processes from measured ion self-diffusion coefficients using Pulsed Field Gradient (PFG) NMR. The enthalpy and entropy changes of ionization and ion self-diffusion processes are obtained for a series of ionic liquids using this method. These data were used to explain the interactions between cations and anions of ionic liquids. The interactions are also interpreted by the delocalization of the ion's charge densities. The self-diffusion coefficients of cations and anions for measured ionic liquids are discussed. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.