Investigating Intermolecular Interactions in a DME-Based Hybrid Ionic Liquid Electrolyte by HOESY NMR

• Main Authors: Derick Gyabeng, Pierre-Alexandre Martin, Urbi Pal, Michaël Deschamps, Maria Forsyth, Luke A. O'Dell
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2019-01-01
• Series: Frontiers in Chemistry
• Subjects: ionic liquid electrolytes; ion interactions; Nuclear Overhauser Effect; HOESY NMR; cross-relaxation rates
• Online Access: https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fchem.2019.00004/full
• ISSN: 2296-2646

The intermolecular interactions in a hybrid electrolyte based on various compositions of the ionic liquid N-methyl-N-propyl pyrrolidinium bis-fluorosulfonylimide (C3mpyrFSI), LiFSI salt and an ether-based additive, 1,2-dimethoxy ethane (DME), have been investigated using the HOESY (Heteronuclear Overhauser Effect SpectroscopY) NMR experiment. This NMR technique allows a quantification of the intermolecular interactions in ionic liquids (ILs) by measuring the cross-relaxation rate (σ) between different pairs of nuclei. Thereby, we compare the cross-relaxation rates between the cations, anions and DME in these hybrid electrolyte systems using 1H-7Li and 1H-19F HOESY experiments, and interpret the measured parameters in terms of ionic and molecular associations. The results give insights into the local coordination environment of the Li+ cations and their solvation by the FSI anions and DME.