Nanoconfined ionic liquids: effect of surface charges on flow and molecular layering

Ionic liquids have remarkable physico-chemical properties that make them highly attractive as new solvents or electrolytes in applications ranging from solar cells to MEMS lubrication, in which their flow properties in the vicinity of solid surfaces are crucial. We have performed a study of the nanorheology of two ionic liquids confined in molecularly thin films which shows how surface charges drastically affect their molecular structure and flow properties.