Molecular dynamics simulation of hydrogen fluoride mixtures with 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium fluoride: A simple model for the study of structural features

Mixtures of hydrogen fluoride with ionic liquids show unique physicochemical properties, including their ability to form polyfluoride species (pointed out for the first time in this media by von Rosenvinge et al. J. Chem. Phys. 1997, 107, 8012). Among those systems the acidic 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium fluoride (EMIF(.)2.3HF) has been widely studied experimentally since it is the more promising for electrochemical applications. Recent studies (Hagiwara et al. J. Electrochem. Soc. 2002, 149, D1), while yielding many results, raised some questions about structural features of the liquid: absence of hydrogen bonds between the EMI+ ring hydrogen atoms and the fluoride anions, persistence of stacks and layers of cations similar to those existing in the crystal, and interpretation of the X-ray diffraction spectra. To address these questions, we have developed a simple molecular dynamics model. Our simulations are very consistent with experimental results and complete them, providing an atomic scale interpretation.